You may also like
Categories:Viewed: 10 - Published at: 9 years ago
Ingredients
- 8 cups (2 L) water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 cups (325 g) medium-coarse polenta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled, halved, and sliced (about 1 1/2 cup)
- 3 (14-ounce or 400-g) cans diced tomatoes (42 ounces or 1,200 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1/2 ounce (15 g) dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water and finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 bunch chopped fresh basil leaves (about 1/2 cup)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese
Method
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
- Slowly add polenta in a steady stream, stirring continuously with a long wooden spoon.
- Lower heat to a gentle boil and continue stirring 30 minutes or until polenta pulls away from the sides and is not gritty.
- You may need to use more water as it cooks.
- Use boiling water.
- Cover pot with buttered waxed paper and place in a warm-water bath.
- Polenta stays hot up to 3 hours.
- Make sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until onion begins to carmelize; stir in tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes; stir in basil, salt, and pepper.
- Pour hot polenta onto a clean, unfinished wooden table or a large chopping board, 18 x 18 inches (45 cm x 45 cm), and shape into a thick circle.
- Make a 4-inch (10-cm) indent in the center, pour in tomato sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.
- Variations:
- Let cool and then slice into pieces for frying.
- Mix in diced mozzarella or fontina cheese.
- Use half water and half milk to make dish more flavorful.
- Cut into slices, put overlapping in buttered baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, and top with lots of grated Parmiggiano cheese.
- Bake at 400F (200C) until browned.
