Ingredients: For Sauce1 pound red ripe Italian tomatoes
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 grated carrot
2 ounces porcini mushrooms, soaked
1/2 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red wine
2 cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

1. Prepare a tomato sauce by blanching tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain and peel. Chop and reserve.
   
2. Cook sausage. Drain off fat.
   
3. Saute onion, carrot, drained porcini, cremini mushrooms and garlic in the oil until onion is transparent.
   
4. Add cooked sausage. Add wine and let it evaporate. Add prepared tomatoes and hot pepper flakes. Cook at medium heat for 10 minutes.
   
5. Add tomato sauce and cook for 20 minutes. Chop parsley and add. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 more minutes. Reserve.
   

Classic Polenta Ingredients:4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup course cornmeal
1/4 cup whole milk

1. Heat water in a deep pot. Add salt and butter. Slowly, in a steady stream, add cornmeal while constantly whisking. Lower the heat to low, being very careful not to let mixture burn.
   
2. Switch to a wooden spoon and continue to stir until polenta mixture comes away from the sides of the pot. Add milk and stir until mixture pulls away from the pot again. Usually it takes 45 minutes to cook.
   
3. Pour the cooked polenta on a wet marble slab. Smooth the polenta with a spatula (dipped frequently in hot water) to a 1-inch thickness. Cover with foil and reserve.
   
4. Slice polenta with a piece of string. Place on an oiled baking dish. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
   

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 8.

Frico is a cheese fritter made by heating grated Montasio cheese in a skillet until it crisps with other ingredients, in this case potatoes.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

· 10 ounces (250 g) fresh or moderately aged Montasio cheese, thinly sliced
· A scant pound (400 g) potatoes, peeled and cut in matchsticks.
· 1/4 cup unsalted butter or olive oil

Preparation:

Heat the fat in a skillet and saute the potatoes for a few minutes, or until they begin to soften and brown, then add the cheese and continue cooking, shaking the pan every now and then so the cheese gets to the bottom of the potato mixture; once the bottom of the mixture has begun to brown carefully slide it out onto a plate using a spatula (you don't want to break the Frico), then invert the frico back into the pan so you end up with the browned side up (as you would if you were flipping a frittata). Continue cooking the Frico for a few minutes more, until the underside is also brown; it should have a crunchy skin and a soft inside. The total cooking time of the cheese will be about 12-15 minutes. Serve it with polenta on the side.

Note: If you cannot find Montasio, use young Grana Padano cheese.

Yield: 4 servings frico with potatoes.