dinner, done easy

polenta is a great alternative to pasta, and a simple side dish that can be easily jazzed up with mix-ins. plus, for those of us who eat gluten free, polenta is safe!

here's a quick dinner recipe that i recently tried and loved. there was plenty of ragout for leftovers as well.

ingredients:
2 pounds precooked polenta (in a tube), cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) rounds
1/3 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 pound mixed sliced fresh wild mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups bottled marinara sauce

prep:
preheat broiler.

broil polenta rounds on a lightly oiled large heavy baking sheet 3 to 4 inches from heat until lightly browned in spots, about 7 minutes. turn rounds over and sprinkle with cheese, then broil until polenta is golden in spots and cheese is melted, about 7 minutes more.

meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then cook sausage, breaking up lumps, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. transfer to a bowl.

heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. add wine and boil, scraping up any brown bits, until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. stir in sausage and tomato sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. season with salt.

serve ragout spooned over polenta.