Ursula says: “Hearty and delicious, this lasagne – which uses polenta in place of pasta sheets – is a real crowd pleaser.”

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
handful of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
6-8 Italian sausages, casings removed (see Note)
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 x 400-g cans plum tomatoes
1 quantity of basic polenta (see baked polenta recipe, above)
100 g pecorino, freshly grated
150 g mozzarella, cut into thin slices
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
crusty bread, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a low heat, add the onion, celery and carrot and cook slowly until lightly coloured.

Crumble the sausage meat into the pan, then break up any large clumps with a spoon. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and tomatoes and simmer for 40 minutes, adjusting the flavours as you go. At the end, add the chopped parsley.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.

Lightly oil an ovenproof dish (about 23 cm/9 inch square). Cover the base of the dish with one-third of the sausage and tomato sauce, then add a thin layer of polenta. Sprinkle over one-third of the grated pecorino and lay one-third of the mozzarella slices on top. Repeat these layers twice more, finishing with a layer of polenta and the two cheeses. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until bubbly and golden. Leave to stand for 5–10 minutes before serving with crusty bread.

Note: Using good-quality sausages is a must – I love the fennel and red wine varieties for this dish.

What to drink:

Spicy foods call for a either bit of spice in the wine or some sweetness to act as a counterpoint to the spice. In the Veneto we get both in the king of the region, Amarone della Valpolicella! A lovely choice would be Il Lussurioso by Buglioni. A dry, smooth, yet powerful wine with intense flavours of red and black cherries and just a hint of white pepper. This sweet and spicy combination elevates a spicy dish to the next level.

Cucina del Veneto: 3 delicious polenta recipes to make when you want a change from pasta