POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND ASIAGO

Polenta with Sausage and Asiago image

Yield Makes 8 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

8 ounces Asiago cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1 3-ounce piece pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 2-ounce piece hard Italian salami, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, crumbled
7 cups water
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Grate enough Asiago cheese to measure 1/4 cup. Cut remaining cheese into 1/2-inch dice.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Add salami and stir 1 minute. Transfer pancetta mixture and pan drippings to bowl. Add sausages to same skillet; sauté until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towels to drain.
Bring 7 cups water to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low; cook until polenta thickens and starts to pull away from sides of pan, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Stir in pancetta mixture, diced Asiago cheese and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer polenta to prepared baking dish. Arrange sausage over polenta; sprinkle with grated Asiago. Bake until polenta is set and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.