RECIPE: Parmesan Polenta with Italian Sausage Ragu

Need the perfect recipe to pair with our Italiano Style blend? Jesse has you covered with his Parmesan Polenta & Italian Sausage Ragu. Crack open a bottle of the Italiano, put on some Louis Prima, make this recipe and call it a night!

1lb Sweet Italian sausage
½ of a lg Vidalia/sweet onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
½ cup Italiano Style red wine
½ C. basil leaves, chiffonade (reserve a few for garnish)
Kosher salt & pepper, to taste
1 Qt good quality chicken stock
1 C polenta (raw, not quick cooking)
½ C heavy cream
1 C freshly grated Parmesan (plus more for garnish)

Instructions

Remove sausage casings. In a bowl, crush tomatoes with your hands. In a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat; coat pan with olive oil and add sausage. Break up sausage into small pieces and cook about 3 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. When sausage is browned and fully cooked, add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Deglaze pan with wine and reduce by half. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until thick, 20 min to 1 hour. The longer you simmer, the better the sauce gets. Add basil, kosher salt, and pepper to finish.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the quart of stock to a boil and slowly add polenta and cook, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add parmesan, cream, and kosher salt. Divide between bowls and top with ragu. Garnish with parmesan and basil. Serve with Italiano Style