Polenta with Cheese and Vegetables / Polenta con Formaggio e Verdure
SERVES 8
Northern Italians are sometimes referred to as mangia polenta, mush eaters, because of the amount of cornmeal they eat. There are many ways to prepare it and some Italians say polenta made with coarse-ground cornmeal is better than that from fine-ground.
Some prefer to use white cornmeal as opposed to yellow, as is the custom in Montalcino, Tuscany. As a child, I did not like polenta, but Nonna Galasso made it every so often, even though she was a southern Italian. Whenever she served it, I developed a stomachache that would quickly disappear when she offered me a pack of Lifesavers – after I ate my polenta.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Filippo Berio extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups thin strips (matchsticks) zucchini
- 1½ cups thinly sliced mushrooms
- 1 recipe Polenta, chilled (see below)
- 8 thin slices of Italian Fontina cheese (1/2 pound )
- INGREDIENTS
Directions
- In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic and sauté until soft. Add the vegetables and sauté until soft. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
- Cut the cold polenta into 8 slices and place them on a greased broiler pan. Divide the vegetable mixture evenly among the slices, and top each slice with a slice of cheese. Broil just until the cheese begins to melt. Serve immediately.
- POLENTA
- SERVES 8 TO 10
- Polenta, or cornmeal cooked in milk or water, is to be found in the northern Italian regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, the Trentino, and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. Polenta requires constant vigorous stirring to achieve its characteristic smooth consistency.
- 4½ cups water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups coarsely ground cornmeal
- In a large heavy pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt. Add the cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring vigorously all the while with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to leave the side of the pan, about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the coarseness of the cornmeal.
- Immediately pour the polenta onto a lightly oiled wooden board or platter. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then cut into slices. Serve with a sauce of your choice or in place of bread, noodles, or lasagna.
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Comments
lauren buttke
Ciao! I <3 your show & love all the recipes. I drool while watching & then cook my own variations! Thanks!
Barbara
Recently I was shopping and decided to buy polenta in a specialty Italian grocery/deli that I always go to.. when I went to grab a bag of coarse polenta the shelf was empty.. that said , all they had was the fine meal.. never made that before..I passed on it because I didn’t know anything about it..The next day we were with friends and went to a very good Italian restaurant and they offered( only if you ask) polenta.. it was the best polenta I ever had.. come to find out ( our server revealed his secret.. finely ground polenta.. not found in many places.. but now I know where!!!