Cheesy polenta with sausage ragout

The Italian-speaking canton of Ticino has been stirring polenta - a cornmeal dish, cooked into porridge – for centuries. Traditionally, it was cooked slowly in a copper cauldron over a fire, until thick and hearty. Come wintertime, Cheesy polenta with sausage ragout and savoury braised beef, teeming with wine-induced flavours, is a staple pairing with polenta, (I have never been a great fan of polenta, if its not one of your favorites you could always have mashed potato) in a perfect marriage of rustic tastes and culinary traditions.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped 6 pork sausage, skins removed

400g can chopped tomato

200ml chicken stock

1 tbsp tomato purée

4 rosemary sprigs, chopped

200g instant polenta (available from larger supermarkets and Holland & Barrett)

100g smoked cheese, grated

Method

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat and cook the onion and garlic for a few mins. Stir in the sausages, breaking them up into small pieces as you go, and cook for another 8-9 mins. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock, purée and most of the rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 8-10 mins or until the mixture is thickened. Season to taste. Meanwhile, make up the polenta following pack instructions. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, with some seasoning. Spoon the polenta onto 4 plates, then top with the ragout and a sprinkling of the remaining rosemary