Oh how I love Italian Food. What I love is, Italians keep their food simple, without any fuss or complex ingredients, always using fresh ingredients and as a result their food is always delicious. Jamie Oliver once said he was born in the wrong country....I very much think the same thing!
This recipe was quick, easy, elegant and delicious. What makes this dish so easy is you can make up the polenta the day before or the morning of. You can also use leftover marinara sauce or use a store bought jar of marinara if you are in a crunch for time.
How this recipe came about is years ago we had this dinner in a restaurant and I fell in love with it. That was back in the day when I did not know anything about anything in regards to cooking. However, I never, never forgot about this wonderful meal. This dish would be wonderful cut into smaller portions as an appetizer too. Anyways, for whatever reason, this recipe popped into my head the other day and I thought .... yes .... it is time to give it a go. So happy to go down memory lane...and how delicious it was too.
TO MAKE THE POLENTA:
1 cup of milk (we use 2% lactose free)
2 cups water (plus keep extra water on hand)
1 Bay leaf
salt - be generous
1 cup polenta
1/2 cup Parmeasan cheese
Combine milk, water, generous amount of salt to season, and bay leaf in a good sized pot. Bring to the boil on low medium heat. Add in the polenta - whisk well, then turn down to a good simmer. Now using a wooden spoon continue to stir well. Keep stirring for a good 30 minutes. I added in total at least an extra 1/2 cup of water a bit at a time continuing to stir. When it feels smooth to taste remove from the heat and add in the Parmesan cheese mixing well.
Lightly oil an 8 1/2 x 12 inch glass casserole dish with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Transfer the cooked polenta to the casserole dish spreading out evenly. Allow to cool 20 min. then refrigerate until 30 minutes before it is to go into the oven.
MARINARA SAUCE:
one 796 ml/28oz can of organic crushed tomatoes with basil
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 minced garlic cloves
fresh cracked pepper
2 generous Tblsp. finely chopped Italian Parsley, and fresh Basil
Heat up a sauce pan of low heat with the EVOO. Add in the minced garlic, and fresh cracked pepper. Saute until fragrant - a minute or 2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, and add the finely chopped parsley and basil stirring to combine. Take the casserole dish of polenta out of the fridge and put aside. Keep the marinara on a low simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 min. and remove from the heat.
Other ingredients:
130 grams herb crusted goat cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
10 asparagus spears - cut in half
While the marinara is simmering, blanch the asparagus for 1 1/2 min. drain and add to a bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and pat dry with paper towel.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Add a few generous ladle fulls of marinara sauce on top of the polenta - spreading evenly. Then a generous layer of grated Parmesan cheese, topping with the blanched asparagus. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese through out the dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes.
To plate: Add a small ladle full of marinara sauce to your plate, then add a slice of the baked Polenta Asparagus Goat Cheese. It is amazing how a few simple fresh ingredients can create a delicious wonderful meal. Enjoy! We sure did.
Oh my goodness! That dish looks amazing, Ina! It's brilliant to use polenta this way!
Shirley
Thanks Shirley 🙂 Polenta is fairly new to us in this household. Having now cooked with it a couple of times - there are so many possibilities!