BAKED POLENTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA
I turn to polenta when I am in need of some good, old-fashioned comfort food. I suspect it's because there is not much difference between polenta and the grits I was raised on in North Florida. This simple dish relies once again on my favorite tomato sauce and not much else other than freshly cooked polenta made better than ever with a little added ricotta.
Provided by Art Smith
Categories HarperCollins Hominy/Cornmeal/Masa Tomato Vegetarian Parmesan Basil Ricotta Healthy Dinner
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- To prepare the tomato sauce:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the tomatoes, yellow onion, and garlic in a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft and the skin is peeling away from the tomatoes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Remove the skin from the tomatoes and put in a saucepan. Squeeze the garlic out of the bulb and into the tomatoes. Remove the skin from the onion. Coarsely chop the onion and add to the tomatoes.
- Add the olive oil to the tomatoes and puree with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. You may need to add up to 1/3 cup water if there is not enough liquid. Season with salt. Warm the tomato sauce just prior to use.
- To prepare the polenta:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a simmer and stream in the polenta. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Cover with a lid and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Be careful when you go to stir the polenta-it tends to spit out pieces of the cornmeal, which is very hot. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the olive oil and basil. Drop in teaspoon-size pieces of the ricotta cheese. Pour the polenta into an 8-inch square baking pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and let sit for 1 hour or until the polenta has firmed up. Bake the polenta in the oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Cut the polenta into 8 equal pieces.
- To serve:
- Place 1/2 cup warm tomato sauce in 4 shallow bowls and top with two pieces of the polenta. Sprinkle with the chopped basil.
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Israel Enriquez
[email protected]This dish was a bit too bland for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce lacked flavor. I added some salt and pepper to the sauce and it improved slightly. I will probably not make this dish again.
Deewhy Ytepes
[email protected]This dish was a bit too bitter for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too bitter. I added some sugar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the bitterness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Hafiz Tauqeer
[email protected]This dish was a bit too sour for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too sour. I added some sugar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the sourness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Mazhar Hayat
[email protected]This dish was a bit too sweet for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too sweet. I added some vinegar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the sweetness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Best Pizza
[email protected]This dish was a bit too salty for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too salty. I added some water to the sauce and it helped to reduce the saltiness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Hillary Amanga
[email protected]This dish was a bit too spicy for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too spicy. I added some sugar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the heat. I will probably not make this dish again.
Fadwa Mohammed
[email protected]This dish was a bit too bland for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce lacked flavor. I added some salt and pepper to the sauce and it improved slightly. I will probably not make this dish again.
Whisper Pumhe
[email protected]This dish was a bit too bitter for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too bitter. I added some sugar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the bitterness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Dil Aawaiz
[email protected]This dish was a bit too sour for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too sour. I added some sugar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the sourness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Wasif Abbasi
[email protected]This dish was a bit too sweet for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too sweet. I added some vinegar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the sweetness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Hasanur Rahman
[email protected]This dish was a bit too salty for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too salty. I added some water to the sauce and it helped to reduce the saltiness. I will probably not make this dish again.
Ebube Godwin
[email protected]This dish was a bit too spicy for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce was too spicy. I added some sugar to the sauce and it helped to reduce the heat. I will probably not make this dish again.
thandeka Mavuso
[email protected]This dish was a bit bland for my taste. The polenta was cooked perfectly, but the tomato sauce lacked flavor. I added some salt and pepper to the sauce and it improved slightly. I will probably not make this dish again.
Mahad Malik
[email protected]I'm not a huge fan of polenta, but this dish was surprisingly good! The polenta was cooked perfectly and the tomato sauce was flavorful. I will definitely be making this dish again.
Ivan Twine
[email protected]This dish was easy to make and turned out great! The polenta was creamy and the tomato sauce was flavorful. I added some crumbled sausage to the sauce for extra flavor. I will definitely be making this dish again.
Rocco Calzaretta
[email protected]I made this dish last night and it was a hit! My family loved it. The polenta was cooked perfectly and the tomato sauce was flavorful. I will definitely be making this dish again.
ivanna Chamoun
[email protected]This dish was absolutely delicious! The polenta was creamy and flavorful, and the tomato sauce was rich and tangy. The ricotta cheese added a nice touch of creaminess and richness. I will definitely be making this dish again!