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Sausage and Broccoli Rabe with Polenta

(From Food & Wine, Nov 1997)

*This is an absolute all-year-round FAVORITE with us. We made it vegetarian by purchasing the Italian Style sausage from the health food store (I forgot the manufacturer) and using veggie stock.
1 pound broccoli rabe, tough stems removed
¼ cup olive oil
1 1/3 pounds hot or mild Italian sausage (I just use one package of veggie Italian Style sausage, which is 8 links)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
One 15 oz can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1 ½ cups chicken or veggie stock
½ tsp dried thyme
2 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 ½ cups water
1 1/3 cups coarse or medium cornmeal

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli rabe until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, then rinse in cold water and drain again thoroughly. Cut into 2 inch pieces and set aside.

Heat 1 Tb of the extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate and let cool slightly. Slice the sausage into ½ inch thick rounds.

Pour off all but 2 Tb of the fat from the skillet (if using veggie style sausage, there won’ t be any fat, so you will have to add a little olive oil or water, if you want to keep it low fat, so you don’t burn your pan). Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the sausage slices, tomatoes, stock, thyme and 1 ¼ tsp of the salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe, parsley and pepper and return to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the water and the remaining 1 ¼ tsp of salt and bring to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow steady stream, then whisk in the remaining 3 Tb of oil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thickened, about 20 minutes.

Spoon the polenta onto dinner plates and top with the sausage and broccoli rabe ragout. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top, if you like.

Wine: This dish wants a red wine without a high level of tannins, which could combine with the broccoli rabe to create an unpleasant bitterness (although Farmer Bill’s broccoli rabe is never bitter). One excellent choice: an Italian Barbera with minimal tannin, such as the 1995 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti.

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