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Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage and Fennel

Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage and Fennel prepared dish

Creamy pumpkin polenta makes a savory autumn base for browned italian sausage, caramelized fennel, and a bright finish of parmesan and parsley. This hearty italian-inspired dinner balances sweet pumpkin, aromatic fennel, and rich sausage in a comforting bowl.

This recipe is italian style, dinner, scaled for 4 servings, with 15 min prep and 35 min cook.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 50 min · Serves: 4

Quick cooking notes

  • Core ingredients include black pepper, parmesan cheese, pumpkin puree, yellow onion.
  • Follow all 14 steps in order for the intended texture and doneness.
  • Ingredient quantities listed below are for 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • 0.5 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
  • 0.75 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated, divided)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
  • 1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
  • 1 lb mild italian sausage (casings removed)
  • 1 large fennel bulb (cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (divided)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal (polenta grind)
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage (finely chopped)
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Place the mild Italian sausage on a separate plate from the vegetables, wash your hands after handling it, and keep raw sausage and its juices away from the sliced fennel, onion, parsley, and other ready-to-eat ingredients.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the mild Italian sausage to the skillet and break it into bite-size crumbles with a wooden spoon; cook over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into several large crumbles registers 160°F (71°C).
  4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a clean plate, leaving about 1 tbsp rendered fat in the skillet, then wipe any raw-meat splatter from nearby surfaces and wash the spoon if it touched raw sausage.
  5. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, the thinly sliced fennel bulb, thinly sliced yellow onion, 0.25 tsp kosher salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper, and cook for 9-11 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the fennel is tender and the onion edges are golden.
  6. Add the minced garlic, chopped fresh sage, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 45-60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic smells fragrant but has not browned.
  7. Pour the dry white wine into the skillet and scrape the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon; simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until the wine is reduced by about half.
  8. Return the cooked sausage to the skillet, stir to coat it with the fennel mixture, reduce the heat to low, and keep the topping warm for 3-5 minutes while you start the polenta.
  9. Combine the low-sodium chicken broth, whole milk, water, and 0.5 tsp kosher salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan, then bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, which should take 5-6 minutes.
  10. Whisk the fine yellow cornmeal into the boiling liquid in a slow, steady stream, then reduce the heat to low and whisk continuously for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens and no dry lumps remain.
  11. Cook the polenta over low heat for 18-20 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes with a silicone spatula and scraping the bottom and corners of the saucepan, until the grains are tender and the polenta falls from the spoon in soft, creamy ribbons.
  12. Stir the pumpkin puree, unsalted butter, 0.5 cup of the finely grated Parmesan cheese, the remaining 0.25 tsp kosher salt, and the remaining 0.25 tsp black pepper into the polenta over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the butter melts and the polenta is glossy and evenly orange.
  13. Spoon the hot pumpkin polenta into 4 shallow bowls, making a wide well in the center of each bowl with the back of a spoon.
  14. Top each bowl with the warm Italian sausage and fennel mixture, then finish with the remaining 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and reserved fennel fronds; serve immediately while the polenta is loose and creamy.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories: 701
  • Protein: 29 g
  • Fat: 44 g
  • Carbohydrates: 43 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Sugar: 11 g
  • Sodium: 1285 mg

Nutrition values are estimates based on stored ingredient totals and serving size.

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