Chestnut Polenta with Poached Eggs in Ragu Alla Napoletana

Eggs poached in slow-cooked ragu with smoky chestnut polenta is deliciously decadent. Italians call this preparation Uova al Purgatorio, or "egg in purgatory," but there is nothing halfway about it. We use coarse-ground polenta from Anson Mills, an artisanal producer in Columbia, South Carolina. It has a toothsome texture and pronounced corn flavor. The only drawback is that it takes more than twice as long to cook as most other polentas.

Since Anson polenta is only available in select markets (and online) we have called for standard course-grind polenta in this recipe. If you use Anson's version, follow the instructions on the package then add the chestnut flour for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Since our recipe for Ragu Alla Napoletana yields more sauce than needed for 4 servings of pasta, we thought we'd share another recipe that uses the delicious ragu.

Serves 4 as a main course, or 6 as a first course.