Pumpkin Polenta With Italian Sausage and Fennel

Mommy Diva's Note:

November/December 2005 RR magazine. Looks great for Fall dinners!

• Total Time: 32 mins
• Prep Time: 7 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil , 1 turn of the pan (EVOO)
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion , thinly sliced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 14 ounces pumpkin puree
• 1 cup quick-cooking polenta (or instant)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , chopped
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pecorino romano cheese , shredded
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley , chopped (a generous handful)
• 1 large fennel bulb (quartered, cored and thinly sliced)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg , freshly grated (eyeball it)

Directions:

1. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage.
2. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of EVOO (1 turn of the pan) to the skillet and then the onion and fennel.
4. Cook the vegetables over moderate heat until tender but not brown.
5. Add the wine and return the sausage to the skillet.
6. Cook the wine away, a minute or so.
7. In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and butter to a boil and stir in the pumpkin.
8. Return to a boil, whisk in the polenta and stir until it masses together, 2 minutes (Watch out for splatters.)
9. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, thyme, salt, pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese.
10. Top the pumpkin polenta with the sausage and fennel.
11. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Reviews

[Emily C]

So it wasn't very pretty, but it WAS VERY YUMMY!!! Wowowowow. I used reduced fat sausage, left out the EVOO & butter, and used parmesan because I had a bag full of it and needed to use it! SO. VERY. DELICIOUS!!! I can not say enough about the taste! And you are not kidding about watching out for boiling polenta. I burned the FIRE out of my hand! Awwww... but it's okay, my mouth is happy :-) I'm definitely making this again, and may try adding other veggies to up the oomph.

[Chef #391008]

This was a delicious recipe!! All of the flavors go so well together. I loved how the polenta turned a nice light orange color with the addition of the pumpkin. The only change I made to this recipe is that I went with a chicken italian sausage. I could sit and eat a huge bowl of this! Thanks for a great recipe. Its a keeper.

[Tia Mouse]

Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Well, at least I thought so! It's not often that DH and I completely disagree on a recipe, but we did on this one. I absolutely love the polenta. I used regular polenta, and it was worth it. The pumpkin flavor is subtle in it, but oh so good! (Pumpkin squashes are very subtle in flavor anyway. They provide a very valuable texture and a lovely color, though, as they do in this recipe.) We used HOT turkey sausage, which was appropriate for our diet and preferences, and added about 3/4 pound of cubed bnls/skls chicken breast, too, for extra protein. I would love even MORE fennel (and I would skip the chicken, because the sausage flavor is SO good!). I was tempted to add the chopped fennel "hair" to the polenta... but didn't. I'd love to make it again, but Gato said it didn't work AT ALL for him. To each their own! LOL!