Sausage and Polenta

We hadn’t had Sausage in a while and we decided to pick up some links from McCall’s Meat and Fish. Many times we have made the recipe Polenta con Salsicce, (Polenta with Sausages) from The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli. This recipe is an absolute winner! The Porcini Mushrooms makes for a rich sauce. When served with Polenta it is a perfect cool evening dinner!

Polenta con Salsicce

(serves   6)

(Polenta with Sausages)

from The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli

Sausages cooked in a wonderful sauce made with wild mushrooms and all poured over slices of polenta. It makes one look forward to the cold weather.

4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
6 large sweet sausages

1 red onion

5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups meat or chicken broth

Polenta

Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl of lukewarm water for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the sausages in half; chop the onion fine.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a medium flame. When it is warm, add the chopped onion and saute until golden brown (about 12 minutes), stirring with a wooden spoon every so often. Add the sausage pieces and saute very lightly for 10 minutes, then add the tomato paste and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add the soaked mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

In a second saucepan, heat the broth to boiling. When it is hot, pour it into the saucepan containing the sausages. Let simmer very slowly until a large quantity of broth has evaporated (about 25 minutes).

While the sauce is reducing, make the polenta. When the polenta is ready and on its round board (or pasta board), cut it into slices with a string.

Pour the sauce into a large sauceboat and serve hot, along with the polenta. Place several slices of polenta on each individual dish and cover it with the sausage sauce.