Pumpkin Polenta With Sausage, Fennel, & Roasted Pumpkin Ragu
A month or so ago on one of our excursions outside Umbria, while driving down a country road we spotted a farm selling all sorts of gourds and pumpkins. Since pumpkins and gourds aren’t as popular here in Italy as they are elsewhere and I rarely ever see them, I had my husband stop at the farm, so I could buy an armful of gourds to use as a fall display outside, and I bought three large, pretty pumpkins.
We are now leaving Umbria in just over a week, and in my attempt to use up all our perishable foods before we leave, I roasted one of the larger pumpkins this week and had a “pumpkin” day in my kitchen. I baked pumpkin muffins, a pumpkin loaf, made pumpkin French toast, pumpkin macaroni and cheese, and finally, made this polenta dish.
There are some days when you have an idea for a dish and the results are disappointing, while other days you totally hit a winner. Thankfully this polenta dish tasted even better than I had imagined, and will undoubtedly be one I will make often this fall. The pumpkin added a subtle sweetness to the creamy polenta, and the sausage, fennel & roasted pumpkin ragu on top was delicious.
In Italy, you cannot buy pumpkin in a can, so I roast a whole pumpkin to use in recipes. To roast a pumpkin, simply cut it into wedges, scoop out the seeds and place it on a baking sheet.
Roast in a 400 degree F. oven until fork tender (the time depends entirely on the variety and freshness of the pumpkin). After it is roasted, simply use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin. I like to place the pumpkin flesh in a strainer over a bowl for a couple of hours to remove any excess liquid in the pumpkin flesh before I use it for recipes.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Pumpkin Polenta With Sausage, Fennel, & Roasted Pumpkin Ragu
Pumpkin puree adds a subtle sweetness to creamy polenta which is then topped with a hearty sausage ragu.
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin:
- 2 1/2 Cups Diced Pumpkin Or Other Winter Squash
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Sausage Ragu:
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 Links Italian Sausage, Meat Removed From Casings
- 1 Medium Onion, Peeled & Diced
- 1 Fennel Bulb, Trimmed, Cored & Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced
- 1 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Sage
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 Cup Dry White Wine
- 1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Pumpkin Polenta:
- 1 Cup Quick Or Instant Polenta
- 2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
- 1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Sage
- Salt & Pepper
- 3 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the diced pumpkin with the olive oil and spread over a baking sheet.
- Bake the pumpkin until fork tender and lightly browned, turning once or twice while baking, then set aside until needed.
- In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil and cook the sausage meat until lightly browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Add the onions and fennel to the skillet, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the sage, season and salt and pepper, then add the wine.
- Cook over medium high heat until the wine has almost completely dissolved into the ragu, mix in the parsley and roasted pumpkin, and keep warm.
- In a pot, mix the polenta with the broth, pumpkin puree, sage, salt and pepper and cook until tender following manufacture's directions.
- Once cooked, stir the butter and grated cheese into the polenta.
- Spoon the polenta onto four individual bowls, then top with sausage ragu and serve immediately.
Just made this tonight and it was so great! Felt like we were eating in the heart of Tuscany. 🙂 I used red wine because I didn’t have white. It tasted just fine, but looked a little more “blackish”. I really love so many of your recipes Deb! I really wish you had a deb’s favorites category so I knew which of the many recipes were tops on your list. So far my favorite is your bolognese sauce! Thanks for sharing so many great recipes with everyone!
Thanks Kristen! I’m afraid if I had a “favorites” category it would be too long!
This looks so fantastic. I will be making this very soon.
I understand there are pumpkins for carving and pumpkins for eating which have a denser meat than the carving pumpkins without all the water. They are usually darker in color too. What can you tell me?
The pumpkins you buy for carving are not eating pumpkins. There are many varieties grown for eating. Here is a LONG list of Pumpkin Varieties.
I like to post a review/thank you when I make a dish I find on a blog, no matter how long after it is posted. Though it may dismay some Italian grandmothers, I made this with a vegetarian sausage, and it was amazing! (The husband liked it, too.) What’s great is that there are so many variations you could try. (I used a winter squash called “sunshine.”) This is a really special and unique dish!
Thanks Val, I still need to make it for my husband to try.
How would I make pumpkin puree? was thinking I could boil and mash?
Sue, the instructions for making your own pumpkin puree are in the recipe notes above the recipe. I’d recommend roasting rather than boiling the pumpkin.
Made this dish with kangaroo sausages one time and was really liked by all. Am just making the pumpkin polenta tonight to go with lamb. Thanks for a great way to use up lots of pumpkin as well, delicious !