How to Cook Vegetarian Polenta

Cook vegetarian polenta for a delectable side dish.

Cooks longing for the authentic tastes of Italy often serve polenta as a side dish or an appetizer to an Italian meal. Make homemade polenta by cooking water and Italian polenta flour. After making the polenta, the next step involves topping it with sauces and other ingredients. Make your polenta as simple or as fancy as you wish by adding the ingredients you desire. If you prefer a vegetarian polenta, skip the meat and concentrate on sauce and cheese. This recipe serves eight to 10.

Things You'll Need

• 4- to 6-qt. stockpot
• 2 qt. of water
• 1 tsp. salt
• Small saucepan
• Polenta flour (amount determined by how thick you want your polenta)
• Wooden spoon
• Vegetable oil
• 13- by 9-inch pan
• Spatula
• 2 to 3 cups seasoned tomato sauce
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Fill the stockpot with the water and add the salt. Fill the saucepan with water. Place both the stockpot and the saucepan onto the stove and boil the salt water and the plain water over high heat. Turn the heat off the saucepan after the water boils and keep this water warm for later use. Reduce the heat under the stockpot to medium-high.

2. Begin sprinkling the polenta flour over the boiling water in the stockpot. Stir as you continue to sprinkle, adding 3 1/2 to 3 2/3 cups of flour altogether. Add teaspoons of hot water from the saucepan to the thickening polenta to help keep it smooth and easy to stir. The desired consistency resembles thick paste.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and stir the thick polenta constantly with the wooden spoon for about 45 minutes. Remove the polenta from the heat when it begins to pull away thickly from the sides of the stockpot.

4. Oil the 13-inch by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil and pour the hot polenta into the pan. Spread the polenta into an even layer on the bottom of the pan with the spatula. Allow the polenta to cool in the pan until it hardens.

5. Pour the seasoned tomato sauce over the cooled polenta and spread it out with the spatula. Sprinkle the sliced mushrooms evenly over the sauce. Sprinkle the two cheeses evenly over the entire surface of the polenta.

6. Bake the polenta in the oven at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese melts to a golden color. Serve the polenta immediately by cutting it into servings with a knife and removing it with a spatula.

References

• Food Reference: Polenta Basics