Stewed Sweet Sausages in Fennel-Tomato Sauce
Polenta is a popular dish in many cultures. Made initially as a porridge, polenta used corn as its main ingredient, hence the color is usually is yellow. Later, in Europe, polenta was known to be prepped with locally available grains like millet, spelt, farro or even chickpeas! All of these grains are considered “ancient” grains, loaded with nutritional value and flavor.
Yet polenta would not be so delicious without extra flavors added to her! We love to add our own sauces, vegetables, and herbs. Polenta will take on the flavors you have in mind and in your cooking arsenal.
Check out this incredibly flavorful Sugar Free Tomato Sauce that will win over your taste buds in no time!
Try this dish with sweet sausages, onions, and tomatoes. Let’s celebrate a taste of yumminess!
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 sweet Italian sausages (appr. 4/5 lbs.)
- If you cannot locate Italian sausages, use what's available
- 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed, each bulb cut into 8 wedges, fronds chopped
- "Frond": the leaf or leafelike part of a palm or similar plant (dictionary)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- Kosher salt
- 1 can x 28-oz Whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands, juices reserved
- If you do not have whole tomatoes, use the sliced variety
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 pequin chiles --> these are small and spicy dried red Mexican pequin chiles are available at Latin American markets and specialty stores.
- To substitute Pequin Chiles, use 2 chiles de arbol.
- Or use any red peppers.
- If you do not like spicy, then add just a tit-bit to bring out the flavors.
- Creamy polenta, for serving.
Instructions
- In a large casserole, heat the olive oil. Add half of the sausages and cook over moderate heat, until browned all over, around 5 mins.
- Transfer to a plate, repeat with the remaining sausages.
- Add the fennel wedges to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 mins.
- Add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring, until the fennel is lightly browned, about 3 mins.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices, the wine, the chiles.
- Tuck the sausages into the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 mins.
- Uncover and simmer until the sausages are cooked through and teh sauce is thickened, about 40-45 mins.
- Garnish the stew with fennel fronds and serve over polenta.
Celebrate This Hearty Dish – PIN ME!
Omg.. this recipe looks so good! I love stew and polenta! Cant wait to try this recipe
Yummm…The sausage looks so good and I can’t wait to try this recipe out! Thanks for the recipe!
This looks amazing! I really need to branch out and try some new recipes at home. Thanks for sharing!
That looks delicious! I’m not a fan of fennel, so I would leave that out. But I’ve never tried polenta and it sounds really interesting. We love sausage, my kids especially like sweet sausage. The spicier the better for me!
I haven’t ever eaten fennel-so this would be a new thing to try. My hubby is a big fan of sausage-so I’m sure he’d be down to try this out too
That looks like a great lunch idea. I have grown a huge appreciation for sausage here lately. It has become my go-to comfort food. I need to try this recipe.
Oh this sounds so tasty! What a great way to use sweet sausages. The guys would love it.
Polenta is great because it’s versatile and you can pair it with many different recipes. This stewed sweet sausage is a recipe that my boys will enjoy. I can’t wait to give it a try, it’s not difficult to make at all. Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda, sweetie,
You are so right – polenta calls for a great sauce and flavors. The rest is enjoyment!
Glad you’ll be attempting this recipe in your flavor-ful kitchen!
this looks great! i might leave out the fennel though, that and dill doesn’t seem to agree with me!
Love this recipe idea, I will have to give it a try. I love the idea of sweet sausage with fennel and tomato sauce. Looks so delicious.
I am not a huge fennel fan but my husband loves it. He could eat it as a candy LOL. I think I will surprise him and make this for him for dinner tonight! He’ll enjoy it.
That Stewed Sweet Sausages in Fennel-Tomato Sauce looks super delicious! I love fennel so I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
The sausage looks really tasty. This would really be a good heavy meal that’s rich in taste.
This sounds really hearty and tasty. I actually grow fennel in my garden but I have not made anything with it in quite a while.
Oh, Pam,
Fennel is one of my favorite herbs! Great recipes and preserves we make with it. Also, I eat it raw!
I’ve never had fennel, so, that could be interesting. But, absolutely love sweet sausage! Great recipe 🙂
That looks delicious! I’m not sure if I like fennel or not, but I could leave it out I’m sure.
Good recipe but I will have to use the Hot Italian!Sweet sausage makes me ill to my stomach!