October 2016 Recipe of the Month

This recipe comes from Patricia C.

Quick Sausage, Cannellini and Tomato Ragout with Rosemary-Parmesan Polenta
This is a Cooking Light recipe which is nice for cooler evenings. It’s a good way to enjoy the last of your summer herbs for the season!
You can make the polenta while the Ragout simmers.

6-8 oz bulk hot Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2-3 T tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c dry red wine
¾ c chicken stock or broth
¼ t kosher salt
¼ t blk pepper
Dash of crushed red pepper (optional)
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 t chopped fresh oregano (or more to taste)
2 t chopped fresh sage (or more to taste)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to pan, cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan, add olive oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add onion, saute’ 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add wine, cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return sausage to skillet. Stir in stock and next 5 ingredients; reduce heat to medium low and simmer 8 minutes or until lightly thickened. (This is what the recipe says but I found that I had to simmer about 20 minutes to get the thicker consistency I wanted).

4 servings
288 calories, 17.2 g fat, 489 mg sodium

Rosemary-Parmesan Polenta
Bring 3 c water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add ¾ c instant polenta or corn meal, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, cook 3 minutes or until thickened, whisking frequently. Remove pan from heat Stir in 2 T grated Parmesan cheese, 1 T plain fat-free yogurt, 1 T minced rosemary, and ¼ t kosher salt.
4 servings
113 Calories, .07 g fat, 160 mg sodium