Pumpkin Polenta With Italian Sausage And Fennel

Total Time: 32 mins Preparation 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
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped (a generous handful)
• 1 large fennel bulb (quartered, cored and thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup dry wine
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (eyeball it)

Recipe

• 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.