Baked Polenta

Many foods from my childhood are front and centre when it comes to comfort. Baked Polenta is one of my favourites and my nonna prepared polenta in many ways. We often ate it out of coloured bowls with lost of Parmesan and vegetables. Sometimes she fried it, but my favourite is fried or baked. It’s the crunchy texture that draws me back to this simple recipe. Made with a few ingredients you can warm up your home and their hearts.

Polenta As A Staple

For a long time, Polenta was a staple on many Italian tables and in many regions. It may have been one of the first cooked dishes in history dating back to Mesopotamia. It is said to have come to Italy via Turkey and first appeared in Friuli. Now you can find Polenta all over Italy. In the North I have had it with meatballs over it. Any way, is fine for me. It remains a favourite at my table.

Another great polenta recipe from my https://recipesatmytable.com/red-pepper-onion-kale-polenta/

Ingredients

Tomato sauce

1 can small tomatoes 

1 medium onion diced 

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper 

The Polenta

1 cup polenta

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped fresh parsley

1 cup diced mozzarella cubes

1/4 cup parmesan

2 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

Process

Place the olive oil in a pan and add the diced onion.  Put in the sliced garlic and the Italian seasoning.  Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.  Today I used fresh Roma tomatoes, but usually I use the small canned ones.

Bring 3 cups of water or broth to a boil and gently stream in the polenta while whisking it together.  Make sure there are no lumps.

Remove  from heat and add in the butter, parsley and Parmesan cheese.  

Pour into an 8 inch square pan or a round spring form pan and now push in the small cubes of mozzarella over the top. Let the polenta sit for about another 30 minutes until firm.  

Place the polenta into a 400 F oven and bake for 15 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the polenta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cut the Polenta into equal pieces.