Baked Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Peppers with Peppery Parmesan Polenta

Nancy Olah

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Servings: 6 to 8 people

Course: Weekend Meals

Cuisine: Italian

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus a little more for coating the baking pan
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 yellow bell pepper sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 fennel bulb tops and base removed, quartered lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced
1 –2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
½ cup vegetable stock
28- ounce can diced tomatoes
½ cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
3 –4 Field Roast Italian Sausages casings removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound mozzarella grated or 6–8 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 recipe Peppery Parmesan Polenta see link to recipe in my post

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a large baking dish with a little olive oil or cooking spray.
If you have an extra hand to stir, prepare the polenta while the fennel is cooking and put it in the prepared baking dish once it is fully cooked.
Heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. Sauté the onion over low heat 5–6 minutes. Add the peppers, fennel, and garlic and sauté 6–8 minutes more. Add the wine and stock and cook down until the liquid has reduced by half or about 10–12 minutes.
Add tomatoes, fennel seeds, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. (Keep stirring that polenta!)
Slice all of the sausages into ½-inch slices and add to the simmering pan. Cook for about 5–8 minutes – make sure the liquid is mostly evaporated.
Pour the contents of the skillet over the polenta. Bake for 15 minutes.
If you're making this for kids, sprinkle with grated mozzarella and bake for 5 more minutes. If you're making this for adults, remove the baking dish from the oven and dot the top with small pieces of fresh goat cheese.