Polenta And Sausage Stack

Directions

1. 1
   Heat the onions in the oil at med-high heat until they begin to caramelize (about 20 minutes)
2. 2
   Add the peppers and continue to heat and stir for about another 20 minutes.
3. 3
   Clear a space and add the garlic, mixing them into the batch.
4. 4
   Add the tomato paste, spices and herbs. Mix well, and keep the assembly on low heat while you complete make the sausage patties.
5. 5
   Mix well all of the sausage patty ingredients (except the oil).
6. 6
   Divide the meat, using a 1/2 cup scoop, into 12 portions.
7. 7
   Heat the oil to medium in a pan, and lay in the hand-flattened sausage patties 4 at a time (in 3 batches), cooking for 4 minutes on each side and then removing to a plate covered with a paper towel.
8. 8
   Remove most all of the remaining oil from the pan and lightly sear the polenta slices, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
9. 9
   Build the dish starting with a polenta slice topped by one of the sausage patties. Add a heaping 1/2 c scoop of the pepper and onion mixture, and top with a generous amount of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.
10. 10
    Alternatives include adding a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to bathe the stack.
11. 11
    Reheating preparation can be done by separately heating the components and combining them.
12. 12
    An alternative assembly can be the polenta and sausage topped with a slice of mozzarella, topped with the pepper and onion mixture along with a half a cup of tomato sauce, then heating the assembly for 10-15 minutes at 400F.