Ragu Sausage and Polenta Bake #Ragu

Ragú® Recipe Contest Entry. This beautiful casserole comes together in minutes with the use of flavorful Ragu Pasta sauce and prepared polenta. It's layered with Italian sausage, peppery arugula, and creamy goat cheese, and is a comforting dish your family will love.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (24 ounce) jar  Ragú® Pasta Sauce (chunky roasted garlic pasta sauce)
• 1  lb Italian sausage
• 1  lb  prepared polenta, roll
• 1  cup  Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2  large eggs, beaten
• 1  cup  fresh arugula
• 3  ounces  soft fresh goat cheese
• 1  cup canola oil (for frying)
• 1  cup flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a deep, heavy skillet, brown the Italian Sausage. Drain off the fat and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.
3. To the same skillet, add the canola oil and heat to 360 degrees.
4. Place the bread crumbs in one bowl, the eggs in another, and the flour in a third bowl. Add the salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper to the flour and stir.
5. Slice the polenta into 1/2 inch rounds. Dip each slice in the seasoned flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Repeat with all of the polenta.
6. Fry each polenta round for about one minute per side, just until browned. Drain on paper towels.
7. In an 8 X 8 casserole dish, pour about 3/4 cup of the Ragu and spread it around with a spoon.
8. Alternately layer a tablespoon of sausage and a polenta round, overlapping the rounds as you go. Fill the entire dish with alternating polenta and sausage.
9. Spoon the remainder of the Ragu onto the casserole. Top it with 1/2 of the arugula. Then, pinch off clumps of the goat cheese and scatter them around the surface of the dish.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, just until the ingredients are heated through.
11. Top with the remaining arugula and black pepper. Cut into squares and enjoy.