Polenta and Sausages for a Crowd (Polenta Alla Spianatora) Recipe (2024)

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Marzia

1. We usually pour polenta onto boards, in part to cool off.2. When it cools off it starts to solidify.3. We more often at that point, portion it into plates.4. When we do actually eat off the board (on specific occasions), the polenta isn't usually runny. As it isn't runny, and we're only really eating from a small area in front of us, we're usually not spooning into areas where someone else has eaten. At how many dinner parties do you find 10 single serving bowls of dip?

Sarah Eats

This can be made in individual portions so let's move past that. Does anyone have any comments on the flavor and texture?

Emily

My dear, departed friend Lisa made this for a hungry group of adults and children. We spread clean wipeable table clothes over two picnic tables and she poured hearty polenta in a long line down the middle, then topped with the tomato sauce, herbs and grated cheese, omitting the cheese from a portion for the vegans like me in the crowd, and adding sausage to a portion for those who ate meat. We took to it with our spoons; it was a huge hit for all. Truly memorable, lots of laughs and joy. Love!

Susan

ok, the shared eating of this recipe leaves me nauseated--not for me, at all. I don't like to share germs, and this dish has no boundaries re: portions, who-eats-what, etc. It may have a rustic charm for some, but for me, no thanks. I might make it and serve it in individual portions on rustic plates.

Geoff Last

The timing on this recipe needs an adjustment; the polenta takes about 40 minutes but the sauce takes over an hour. Once you take polenta off the heat it firms up right away so I would suggest making the sauce first. It can sit when done while the polenta cooks. For those squeamish about sharing it can easily be done in bowls or plates.

Michael

I frequently make this just for myself. Downsize the recipe, pour the polenta on my plate, and top with the sausage and sauce.Serendipitously, tonight, before I saw this column, I decided to make what I call shrimp and grits Italian style -- i.e. polenta and shrimp scampi. If you haven't tried it, check out David Tanis's recipe for shrimp with hot fennel sausage and polenta, which appears below this column under "more from David Tanis"..

Diane

I actually did grow up eating polenta without plates, but it works much better when there is a board covering the entire table, as my italian grandmother did it. You then mark out your portion by drawing an arc through the polenta in front if you, and that is what you eat. It was amazing as a ritual, and also a delicious meal.

Sarah

In Rome, our architecture professor Alan Ceen, invited us to dinner at his apartment where he prepared polenta. He stirred it on the stovetop with a thick wooden dowel until it passed the *slump test* which he described as similar to the viscosity of wet cement. He poured the polenta onto a large wooden board on his table, dressed it with tomato sauce and sausages, just as David Tanis described here. It was festive and delicious. I still serve polenta this way. He did provide plates however.

Cynthia

I love this as often "dinner" with friends is simply an informal gathering of tapas or an antipasto tray as opposed to a formal sit down dinner. I'd put this on a rectangle board (because that is what I own) and enjoy the conversation and food and wine. There isn't any of the problems described above.

Marzia

As we say in Italy, Mr Tanis has not discovered water. I hate to disappoint you, or you Italian born parents, but, polenta was indeed originally often served in this manner. We do still occasionally serve it this way today.... at parties, at town "sagre", at Sunday family lunches, just for fun. But yes.... though it is still often poured onto a board, we're more likely to portion it from there, onto plates.

Richard Janssen

Polenta made with milk is vastly better than this watery mess.

bar

This is a great red sauce. I’ve made 2x, first doing the recipe (shocking), second I took sausage meat out of casing and broke up. I preferred the second but it was devoured both times. Serve it on/with whatever carbs you want: pasta, polenta in bowls for the germaphobes, bread.....it’s easy and yummy

Prakash Nadkarni

Delicious recipe. But no plates,only forks? If the polenta isn't cooked to pizza-firmness, giant bibs plus kitchen aprons would be mandated to protect one's clothes. (Doing the voice-over narration for some episodes on the DVD "The Best of Sgt. Bilko", the actor George Kennedy noted of his first encounter with Maurice Gosfield - who played the lovable slob Duane Doberman on the 1950s Phil Silvers sitcom - that Gosfield was "wearing his lunch".)

Liz DiMarco Weinmann

A wooden platter of polenta with sauce and sausages where everyone digs in? In *whose* Italian home is this ever done? My Italian-born hard-working parents, who served this dish often, would be horrified to see this affectation, and mortified to present it this way to family, let alone guests! This sadly reminds me of my dearly departed father’s lament that the media always depict Italians as peasants, stomping grapes, guzzling bad wine, gnawing stale bread, and digging into a trough of food!

andrew h

I’d recommend sautéing opinions, then putting them aside to brown sausage, then returning them to pan after sausage is browned.

Melissa

Made this - it was delicious. I read the notes so knew to start with the sauce, not the polenta. I couldn’t get fennel sausage so I added two sliced fennel bulbs with the onions to get that flavour (and save on a side veg dish) and it worked beautifully. I served in individual bowls and so far the recipe writer has not shown up at my house to demand satisfaction.

kathy in CA

That was perfect. I made half the sauce and just 1/2 cup of polenta for the two of us. Sauce left for something else. It was perfect. This is really just good old fashioned spaghetti sauce with sausage. But perfect proportions. A keeper.

Nercon5

Very easy and hits the spot! I oven-baked polenta à la Martha Rose. To be fair polenta-sausage pairing always hits my spot, my right leg quivers as I eat.

Sandy

I made a scaled down version for my husband and me, as I’m always looking for interesting gluten-free meals. It was delicious. Anyone who makes polenta knows you can easily modify this for portions instead of a communal spread. The sauce should be made first as it takes longer than polenta.

Beth H.

This recipe was great. My family loved it.

Deta

Flavor -- delish. Texture -- awesome.

Rinermo

I took the sausage out of the casing, added peppers to the onions, and added cream cheese and butter to the polenta. Heaven.

SB

This is an easy recipe. It’s a saucy stew to be served over polenta. Serve it in individual portions. Forget worrying about sharing part, which I agree, I would never do. I make polenta all the time, it doesn’t take 40 minutes; 20 minutes tops— add more liquid as you go, depending on what texture you want—I prefer mine on the wet, loose side, like grits. Take it off the heat when it tastes right & cover it until ready to serve. I make polenta again the second night if there is sauce left over.

Elyse

This was brilliant. So so tasty. If you don’t want to share meals, this works perfectly served onto individual plates. We went without the pecorino for a dairy free friend and didn’t replace it with anything, and the flavour certainly didn’t suffer. Delicious!

Nicky

This is a great recipe as written. I made it last night - served on a 12-inch rimmed platter. I used Bob's Red Mill polenta and it was the right consistency to form a rim of polenta that made a perfect vessel for the sauce and sausage. Everyone served themselves, and then had easy access to seconds. I bought mushrooms (deemed optional in the recipe) but forgot to use them. Super tasty without them. Hooray for post-vaccine meals shared with friends!

Lauren

Doubled the recipe and it fed 8 hungry adults with some leftovers. Didn't make the polenta (used Dinner a Love Story recipe for make ahead/baked/low maintenance polenta). Took the sausage out of the casing, crumbled and browned it first. Then removed from pot, sauted the onions, added the sausage back in and proceeded with the recipe. Easy and delicious

Joanna

This is a great recipe and a great bread. I followed the recipe exactly ( it’s easy) and got two loaves with wonderful light but sturdy texture and lovely ever-so-slightly sweet taste.

DDR

My first time making polenta and it came out ok. Was really unsure how thick it needed to be before turning off the pot. Ended up that a wooden spoon would stand up briefly before sliding over. On the fence about eating off the shared platter -- it was communal but when we had leftovers, they were fairly unattractive. Probably would slice/serve it on plates as others suggested next time. Used Pinot Noir as the "dry red wine". Enjoyed the rest of the bottle during preparation and consumption...

Liza

In these coronavirus times I'm sure the desire to share a platter is diminished. But I cut the recipe down and ate it as intended with my hubby, since we're in our own bubble. Fun! We liked it as is, nice flavors. But next time I would grill the sausage first for even better flavor, before adding to the sauce, and likely would prepare the polenta to be more firm/sliceable (mine this time was pretty creamy)... just our preference now that I've tried the original.

Hannah

This made a much softer, creamier polenta for me, even after letting it cool on the board. We ended up portioning it into bowls, and then mixing it up with the sauce and sausages, which we cut, in each bowl. There was also much more polenta at the end than there was sauce, so we ended up saving some plain polenta as leftovers—then added some cheese for cheesy polenta once we reheated it.

Liza

Same here...

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Polenta and Sausages for a Crowd (Polenta Alla Spianatora) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is polenta better with milk or water? ›

Sure, you can load it with milk (and then, often, finish it with butter and tons of cheese). It will taste good, but it'll also leave you feeling pretty gross afterward. More often than not, I opt for water instead, which, when the polenta is cooked right, still leads to incredibly creamy (but less heavy) results.

What cornmeal is best for polenta? ›

You want coarse, stone-ground yellow corn to make the most delicious polenta. Instant polenta is parboiled, and while it does cook in less time than it takes to boil water, the trade-off is that the final product is often a gummy, gloopy mess. So, always avoid it.

What do Italians eat with polenta? ›

Polenta can be served with various toppings, like tomato meat sauce or a “white” sauce of sausage and mushrooms. In Abruzzo, especially in the province of Aquila during Lent, polenta is served with snail sauce or cooked in milk and served seasoned with oil, garlic and chili peppers.

How do you make Martha Stewart polenta? ›

In a large, deep saucepan, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter.

Is polenta good for the bowels? ›

Polenta contains both protein and fiber to help a person feel full. Fiber is also recommended to keep the digestive system functioning properly, to feed healthy gut bacteria, and to prevent constipation.

Is polenta more healthy than pasta? ›

Polenta is often used to substitute grains like pasta and rice, as it's lower in calories and is a source of complex carbohydrates. Because complex carbohydrates aren't broken down as quickly as simple carbohydrates, it's ideal for individuals watching their blood sugar levels.

What is polenta called in America? ›

However, cornmeal polenta is by far the most common preparation and today, particularly in the United States, when you hear the term "polenta," it refers to the cornmeal version.

Are grits and polenta the same? ›

Since polenta and grits are both made from ground corn, you can use them interchangeably. Bear in mind that grits are higher in starch than polenta, so if you sub in polenta for grits, you won't have to stir it as frequently, but it won't cook up as creamy as grits.

What is the ratio of water to cornmeal for polenta? ›

Polenta is nothing more than coarsely ground cornmeal. The classic ratio is 1 part polenta to 4 parts water, but I like to measure the polenta just a little scant of a full cup. I often use chicken broth instead of water.

What meat goes best with polenta? ›

You can serve this basic side dish on its own or alongside protein such as Pressure-Cooker Short Ribs, pan-seared chicken, or seafood. Here, we're sharing our favorite ways to serve polenta for dinner as well as a few creative variations on this satisfying staple.

Do southern Italians eat polenta? ›

Of course, if you live in southern Italy you can go to the supermarket and buy polenta. If you meant to ask if polenta is a typical dish of southern Italy then the answer is no. Historically, polenta is a poor dish based on corn from the northern regions. It was eaten so much that many people fell ill with pellagra.

What do you eat on top of polenta? ›

Spoon steamed or cooked veggies over hot polenta. Add cheese, herbs or other favorite seasonings. Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Add sautéed greens and protein of choice including meats, cheese, lentils and legumes.

What makes the best polenta? ›

In Italy, you'll find polenta made from yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal, though yellow is more common. The best polenta is made from stone ground corn, which comes in a coarse, medium, or fine grind. Cornmeal labeled polenta is usually a coarse-grind, but you can make the dish with a medium or fine-grind.

Should polenta be covered when cooking? ›

Cover the pot and let the polenta cook while you go about making the rest of dinner. Every 10 minutes or so, uncover the pot and give it a good stir to make sure it's cooking evenly and the sides aren't drying out. Thirty to forty minutes later, your polenta is ready for the table.

Can you use regular cornmeal to make polenta? ›

Polenta is basically cornmeal mush, and it can be made with any kind of cornmeal, ground coarse, medium or fine. (You don't need bags marked “polenta.”) As with most ingredients, though, the better the cornmeal you start with, the better your result in the kitchen.

What's the best way to eat polenta? ›

Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Add sautéed greens and protein of choice including meats, cheese, lentils and legumes. Make as a breakfast cereal; add nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruit, and milk of choice. For a hearty breakfast, try Breakfast Polenta Casserole opens in a new tab.

Why is my polenta not creamy? ›

The 45 minutes of cooking time is crucial. I always thought my polenta looked done after 15 or 20 minutes of cooking, but just because it's thickened doesn't mean the cornmeal has cooked through. Keep on cooking until it tastes creamy, corny, and a little bit sweet. That extra time makes all the difference.

How to stop polenta from going lumpy? ›

Many recipes call for bringing water and/or milk to a boil and then slowly adding your coarse cornmeal to it, whisking constantly all the while to prevent lumps from forming.

What is the ratio of polenta to liquid? ›

Mark Bittman of the New York Times suggests that soft polenta, the kind I'm after, should be made with a ratio of one part cornmeal to five parts liquid, which seems about right (for firmer polenta that can be chilled and fried, go for 1:3 instead).

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