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Polenta with Sausage and Mushrooms

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Makes 4 sevings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal (medium- grind)
  • 1/2 cup milk, plus more if needed
  • Salt
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
  • 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms
  • Pepper
  • Several sprigs fresh parsley
  • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese (1 cup grated)

Instructions

  1. Put 1 cup cornmeal in a large saucepan with 2 cups water and whisk to form a smooth slurry. Whisk in 1/2 cup milk and a pinch of salt. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
    Get another 3 cups water handy.
  2. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    Chop the sausage or remove the meat from the casings and break it up.
  3. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. When the polenta comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium. Cook, whisking frequently; add more water a little at a time to prevent lumps and to keep the polenta somewhat soupy. Expect to add another 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups water and a little more milk (for richness) and to cook 15 to 20 minutes before the polenta is ready. You want the grains tender and the polenta thick and creamy with just a little grittiness; the polenta should pull away from the side of the pot when you stir.
    Trim, peel, and chop the onion; add it to the skillet. Trim and slice the mushrooms; add them to the skillet as you work.
  5. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more olive oil if the skillet gets too dry, until the sausage is browned and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and scrape up any browned bits to make a little sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
    Strip the leaves from several parsley sprigs and chop. Grate 1 cup Parmesan cheese.

  6. When the polenta is done, stir in the Parmesan, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and lots of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve topped with the sausages, mushrooms, and sauce, garnished with the parsley.

     

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast