Best 10 Polenta With Autumn Squash And Pancetta Recipes

POLENTA WITH PEAS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, 5 minutes then remove to a plate. Add the liquids to the sauce pot and bring to boil. Whisk polenta into the liquid and continue to whisk 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in peas to heat through 1 minute more. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and adjust seasoning. Garnish with pancetta.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE AND ONION

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine 4 1/2 cups water, the salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta. Stir in squash. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until polenta and squash are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick while cooking, add a little more water to the pot. Stir in butter and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• While polenta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, rosemary and fennel seeds if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is golden and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Do this in batches if necessary, adding oil if the pan looks dry.) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Add more oil to the skillet if it looks dry, then add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Return sausage to pan and stir to heat through. Spoon polenta into bowls and top with sausage and onion, garnished with rosemary if you like.

POLENTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Begin making the polenta. While it's in the oven, cook the squash. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until fragrant. Stir in the squash and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss together for five to eight minutes, until it is coated with oil and beginning to soften. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the sugar and salt to taste. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, for five to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Turn the heat back down to medium and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and aromatic. If they begin to dry and stick to the pan before the end of the cooking time (if you're using fresh tomatoes, this may happen because there isn't as much juice as with canned tomatoes), add up to 1/4 cup water. Stir in the parsley and mint, and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat, taste, adjust the salt and add pepper.
• When the polenta is ready, remove from the oven. If adding Parmesan, stir it in. Spoon onto plates, and make a depression in the center. Top with the zucchini. Garnish with additional Parmesan, and serve.

ROASTED SQUASH WITH PANCETTA AND SAGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes and put them in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat.
• Spread the squash on a baking sheet in one layer and roast for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. (You may need to turn the pan several times for even browning.) Remove, and cool to room temperature on the baking sheet.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until barely crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic and sage. Spoon the pancetta, garlic and sage evenly over the squash.
• With a spatula, carefully pile the squash into an oven-proof serving dish. If not serving immediately, keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours; or cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature, before reheating in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

POLENTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange squash, cut side up, in large roasting pan. Place garlic cloves in squash cavities. Drizzle oil over. Sprinkle with dried sage, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until squash is tender, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Peel squash and garlic. Transfer to processor and puree.
• Combine broth, 1 3/4 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is very thick and creamy, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in fresh sage and 3 cups squash puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over medium-low heat until heated through.)

CHEESY BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH POLENTA

Steps:

• Combine 1 Tbsp. salt and 6 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta, then cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until polenta just begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in squash, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until polenta is thick and no longer gritty, and squash mashes easily when pressed with the back of a spoon, 30-40 minutes.
• Mix in milk and nutmeg, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly and smashing squash with the back of spoon, until squash is dissolved into the polenta, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and 1/4 cup butter until melted. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add sage and cook, stirring, just until leaves are lightly crisped and darker in color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Grease a shallow 3-qt. baking dish with butter, then transfer polenta mixture to baking dish. Scatter Fontina cheese over and press down lightly with spoon to submerge. Top with crisped sage. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and chill overnight and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Uncover dish and bake casserole until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 30-35 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

SOFT POLENTA WITH ROAST SQUASH, KALE & HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Boil the kettle, put the shallots in a bowl, pour over kettle-hot water and set aside for 10 mins. This will make them much easier to peel. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Once cooled a little, drain and peel the shallots, and halve any large ones. In a large roasting tin, toss the shallots and squash with 1 tbsp oil and some seasoning. Roast for 25 mins.
• Add the thyme, garlic, chilli, nutmeg, kale, lemon zest and hazelnuts to the roasting tin. Season and toss with the remaining oil. Return to the oven for another 15 mins.
• While the vegetables are roasting, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan. Pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously. Cook for 2-3 mins, then add the milk, season well and stir in the cheese. The polenta should have the consistency of loose mashed potato. Keep warm until ready to serve - the polenta will form a skin and thicken if left for too long, so cover with a piece of baking parchment, and stir in some extra milk if you need to.
• To serve, pour the warm polenta onto a large serving platter and top with the roasted veg. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and finish with some parmesan shavings.

POLENTA 'PIZZA' WITH PANCETTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
• Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
• Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. Meanwhile, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and pancetta is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take onion and pancetta out of pan; set aside. Add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
• Take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then spread onion-pancetta mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and pancetta and vegetables are warmed through. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.

POLENTA SQUASH CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add vegetables and garlic; stir. Cook 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta sauce: cook 2 or 3 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in large skillet on medium heat. Sprinkle polenta with black pepper. Add to skillet, in batches; cook 3 min. on each side or until polenta slices are lightly browned on both sides.
• Place polenta in single layer in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with vegetable mixture and cheeses.
• Bake 30 min. or until heated through. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

POLENTA WITH AUTUMN SQUASH AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• 1. Bring 7 cups salted water to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk cornmeal into boiling water. Let return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick and shiny, about 40 minutes. Monitor pot so mixture doesn't boil over, decreasing heat if necessary. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. Season with pepper and then stir in butter, thyme and half of Parmesan. Taste and add salt if necessary. 2. Preheat broiler and set rack about 7 inches below flame. Grease an 18- by 13-inch shallow roasting pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread hot polenta out into pan. Let cool 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss squash, red peppers and scallions with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons oil. Set aside. 4. Top cooled polenta with pancetta. Place pan under broiler and cook until pancetta starts to crisp, 4-5 minutes. Remove from broiler and evenly distribute squash-red pepper mixture over polenta. Return pan to broiler and cook until vegetables are tender and start to brown, 5-6 minutes more. (The squash will brown the quickest because it has so much sugar in it, but a little char on the edges adds texture and flavor.) 5. Remove polenta from broiler and top with remaining cheese, mint and basil. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and remaining oil. Serve warm with a green salad.