Lasciatemi cantare!

OK, so I'm about as Italian as I am Mexican (see the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe), but that doesn't mean I can't try my hand at the odd Italian dish. If I had to pick one. and only one, particular cuisine that makes me want to cantare, it probably would be Italian. I am a bit of a comfort food junkie, and there is no real substitute for a steaming plate of pasta, dripping with sauce and liberally sprinkled with cheese. Polenta though is something which has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I've enjoyed it at restaurants, but on the one occasion I bought one of those tube shaped packages and served it up in stodgy slices, I was seriously underwhelmed. So last night, when I decided to take the plunge and try and make the kind of polenta I've had in restaurants. The fact that there were no left-overs is pretty telling, although that could be because we celebrated Mothers' Day by going for a long hike that afternoon (because, theoretically at least, they can't say NO on Mothers' Day - ha!), so they were starving.

Whatever the reason for the clean plates, this was pretty satisfying comfort food, and one that I shall no doubt be trying out again. It comes from another Judith Finlayson book: The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook. While she hasn't won me over to some of the grains she features (I'm sorry, millet is birdseed, and amaranth tastes of burnt toast), she clearly knows her polenta.

Peppery Polenta Bake with Mushrooms and Sausages
Serves 6 (or 5 hungry Farrars)

2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup polenta
3 TBSP grated parmesan
olive oil spray
olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (I used Trader Joe's Italian chicken sausage)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP crumbled dried mushrooms, such as porcini
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice (no salt added)
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare polenta by bringing water, milk and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add polenta in a steady stream and keep stirring. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and blended and the mixture bubbles like lava, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, while the mixture bubbles and thickens. After about 30 minutes you should have tender, creamy grains. Stir in the parmesan.
4. Spread warm polenta over the base of a baking dish (10 cup capacity, I used one which is about 10" square), which has been sprayed with olive oil spray.
5. Meanwhile heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings and add to pan with onion and bell peppers. Cook, breaking sausage up, until vegetables are soft and sausage is no longer pink (about 7 minutes).
6. Add garlic, mushrooms and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Spread sausage mixture over the polenta. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly (about 15 minutes).