Chicken Sausage Ragu & Parmesan Polenta

A bowl of short cut sausage ragu over a bed of cheesy polenta

I cook a lot of pasta dishes but often find myself coming back to the same recipe for quick sausage ragu. I've made several different variations of the dish (see my recipe for penne with turkey sausage and roasted vegetables), and decided it would be a nice change to serve the sauce over polenta instead of noodles. The spicy chicken sausage cooks with store bought tomato sauce for a hearty, flavorful sauce that tastes like it's been simmering all day. The polenta makes a great bed for the sauce and absorbs a lot of the taste from the sausage and tomatoes. It's a great meal for a busy weeknight and a fun alternative to spaghetti.


Chicken Sausage Ragu & Parmesan Polenta:
For Ragu

• Use a knife to split open the casings of 1 1/2 lbs. fresh hot Italian chicken sausages.*
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat.
• Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, breaking up the sausage into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.
• Remove any excess fat from the pan with a spoon.
• Turn the heat to low and add 1 jar of marina sauce.
• Cook the ragu for 25-30 minutes, or until all the flavors have time to merry together.

For Polenta

• Bring 3 c. chicken stock and 3 cloves fresh minced garlic to a boil in a small pot.
• Add 3/4 c. quick-cooking polenta and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove polenta from heat and stir in 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, spoon polenta onto the plate and top with ragu and extra Parmesan.

Serves four
*Or buy bulk fresh sausage.