Instructions

01
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
02
In a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high. Add Italian sausage links and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer sausages to a plate.
Herb says
Browning first gives you that coveted Maillard layer, so the sausage flavors the sauce even before braising.
03
Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
04
Stir in garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, cooking just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Herb says
Garlic burns fast, so it goes in after the onion. Science waits for no one, and neither does acrid garlic.
05
Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes with all their juices. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
06
Nestle the browned sausages back into the pan. Bring to a simmer, then transfer the pan to the oven uncovered. Bake for 30 minutes, turning sausages halfway through for even braising.
07
Meanwhile, combine chicken broth and whole milk in a 2-3 quart oven-safe baking dish. Whisk in the polenta, a pinch of salt, and cover tightly with foil.
08
Transfer polenta to the oven on a lower rack. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and whisk well. Return to oven, covered, for another 10 minutes until creamy.
09
Remove polenta from the oven. Whisk in butter and Parmesan until smooth.
Herb says
Butter and cheese at the end guarantee maximum creamy emulsion, think of it as culinary glue.
10
Taste both the sausage-tomato sauce and polenta, then season each with salt and pepper as needed.
11
To serve, spoon polenta into shallow bowls. Top with sausages and plenty of tomato sauce. Garnish with torn basil.

Polenta the Opera

Ingredients

Instructions