baked polenta pie

Combine Polenta, top with your choice of vegetables and layer with tomato sauce, bake and voila… you have Polenta Pie!

Servings

6

Ready In:

1 Hour

Inroduction

About this Recipe

 

 

I don’t like grits, I do like cornbread and I really like polenta.  This is why I LOVE this recipe for the perfect side dish, which has it all – seriously everything you need and want as a side to meat, fish or perhaps as an entire filling meal if you are a vegetarian. 

Ingredients

  • To make the tomato sauce:

    1 spray of olive oil
    ½ onion diced
    1/2  garlic clove minced
    2 14.5 oz cans crushed tomatoes
    ⅛ teaspoon fennel seed
    ½ teaspoon dried basil
    ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    Dash of crushed red pepper
    Pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

    To make the polenta pie:

    1 small zucchini finely chopped
    1 small red pepper finely chopped
    1 small green pepper finely chopped
    1-2 sprays of olive oil
    Salt and pepper to season vegetables
    1 cup polenta
    3 cups milk I used skim
    ½ teaspoon  salt
    1/2 cup freshly grated
    Parmesan cheese

    I searched for polenta recipes, most of which are a little too fattening for my current healthier lifestyle kick. They all had far too much cheesy goodness, which of course I would love but need to avoid or limit. For me, its best to avoid so I don’t go for more. All that said, this recipe piqued my interest so I adapted it to be a little healthier.

    Step by Step Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil spray over medium heat in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, fennel seed, basil, oregano, and red pepper. Season with salt and black pepper and let simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat.
    3. While the sauce is simmering, roast the vegetables. Place zucchini, red and green peppers on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are done roasting, set aside to cool and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
    4. In a large pot, bring the milk, and salt to a light simmer. Slowly add the polenta to the pot, whisking constantly. Once it starts to thicken, trade the whisk out for a spoon and stir until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Add half of the Parmesan cheese to the polenta and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with the other half of the parmesan.
    5. Evenly spread the roasted vegetables on top of the polenta. Spread the tomato sauce over the vegetables. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

    For a truer comfort food, cheesier Polenta Pie, you can add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of sugar, full fat milk and more parmesan to the polenta mix and 1 cup of mozzarella to the top of tomatoes before baking.

    Adapted from a ‘two peas and their pod’ recipe