INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups polenta
5-1/2 cups warm water
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 TBS butter, cut into bits
2 to 3 TBS olive oil
1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings and roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 onion, diced
1-1/2 pounds summer squash (use a variety such as zucchini and gooseneck), cut into 1/2-inch dice
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut Into 1/2-inch dice
1/2cup shredded Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Butter a 13x 9-inch glassbaking pan. Add the polenta, water and salt. Stir gently to combine, then dot with the butter. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until the polenta is almost cooked through and most of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
While the polenta cooks, heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet. Add the sausae and brown for a few minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add to the sausage.
Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan, and saute the onion in it for a few minutes. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper, and sautee gently, stirring occasionally until al dente, about 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and sausage to the squash and cook for a few minutes, until the tomatoes heat through and start to soften. Adjust seasonings.
When the polenta has cooked for 50minutes, remove it from the oven, uncover, and gently rake the top with a fork to distribute someof the crunchy grains. Top with the vegetable-sausage mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Cover, return to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the polenta is cooked through. To freeze, see Note.
Serves 8
Note: Cut into serving size portions and wrap air-tight in plastic wrap, then in heavy duty foil to freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat covered in the microwave until the polenta is heated through.
