Name: Pastuccia (Polenta with Sausage and Raisins)
Yield: Serves 6 as main course (8 to 10 as a first course)
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil or lard, plus more olive oil for drizzling; ¾ pound sweet sausages with or without fennel, casings removed and meat crumbled; 2 cups polenta; ¼ pound pancetta, diced; 1 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water and drained; Freshly ground black pepper; 3 egg yolks; About 4 cups boiling water; Salt

Preparation info

Serves
6
as main course

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Italian Slow and Savory

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2004

About

Pastuccia, a polenta pie baked with sausages and raisins, is a specialty of the town of Teramo in the Abruzzo. After testing this recipe, I decided to increase the amount of raisins because their texture and sweetness are a wonderful contrast to the meaty sausages, and they heighten the sweetness of the cornmeal. Pastuccia is rather filling if served as a primo piatto, but makes a satisfying meal accompanied with a salad or green vegetable.