Turkey sausage—especially the hot and spicy kind—is excellent in this dish. Wild mushrooms add a hearty flavor that complements the sausage, but common white mushrooms do just fine here as well. To use dried mushrooms, place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and steep while you prepare the rest of the ingredients (ten to twenty minutes). When softened, drain well and slice. If using frozen spinach, try to break the block into a few pieces to spread around in the pot. If it is simply too hard to break, don’t worry. It will still cook fine, although you may find you need to cook the meal another five to ten minutes for the polenta to soften completely. As always with these recipes, use your nose as your guide.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2

　　Olive oil spray

　　1/2 cup dry polenta

　　1 1/2 cups broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable) or water

　　4 to 8 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh

　　2 or 3 spicy sausages, fresh or frozen (1/2 to 3/4 pound)

　　4 to 8 mushrooms, sliced

　　1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into strips

　　1 carrot, sliced into coins

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, or 2 large handfuls fresh

　　3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.

　　

Step 3

Pour the polenta in the bottom of the pot and add the liquid. Stir to smooth the grains into an even layer, then sprinkle in a large pinch of the garlic and basil.

　　

Step 4

Add the sausages, followed by the mushrooms, bell pepper, and carrot.

　　

Step 5

Sprinkle another large pinch of garlic and basil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 6

Add the spinach and the rest of the garlic and basil.

　　

Step 7

Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan, if desired.

　　

nutrition information

Step 8

Calories: 414

　　

Step 9

Protein: 23g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 34g

　　

Step 11

Fat: 21g

　　

Step 12

Cholesterol: 47mg

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 689mg

　　

Step 14

Fiber: 2g

　　Glorious One-Pot Meals