Cornmeal Or Polenta Pasta Recipes

OLE POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For polenta, in a small bowl, whisk cornmeal, salt and 1 cup water until smooth. In a large saucepan, bring remaining water to a boil. Add cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. , Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 15 minutes. Divide mixture between 2 greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1-1/2 hours., In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, herbs and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened., Loosen 1 polenta from sides and bottom of dish; invert onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet and set aside. Spoon half of the meat mixture over the remaining polenta. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan cheese. Top with reserved polenta and remaining meat mixture., Cover and bake at 350° until heated through, 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
• Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.

CORNMEAL AND OATMEAL POLENTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the steel-cut oats, polenta, water and salt in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together and place in the oven. Bake 1 hour. Remove from the oven and stir in the butter. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and stir again. Taste and adjust salt. If desired, stir the Parmesan into the polenta, or sprinkle it on top after you spoon on the tomato sauce.
• Spoon the polenta onto plates, make a depression in the middle with the back of your spoon, and fill it with tomato sauce. Top with Parmesan if you haven't stirred it into the polenta.

CORNMEAL PASTA

Steps:

• Place corn, eggs, oil and salt in food processor or blender. Cover and process until smooth. Add flour and cornmeal. Cover and process about 10 seconds or until dough leaves side of bowl and can be pressed together with fingers. Remove dough and press into a ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap or foil. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Divide dough in half. Roll one-half of dough with rolling pin into rectangle 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Loosely fold rectangle lengthwise into thirds; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips for fettuccine, 1/8-inch strips for linguine. Hang pasta on drying rack or lightly floured towels to dry. Repeat with remaining dough.
• In 6-quart saucepan, heat 4 quarts water to boiling; add pasta. Boil uncovered 2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until firm but tender. Drain pasta; do not rinse.

BASIC POLENTA

Steps:

• For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium-size heavy sauce pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish.
• For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

SWISS CORNMEAL POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a heavy pan add the milk, cornmeal and salt.
• Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
• Reduce heat and simmer gently for 7 minutes.
• Stir and beat occasionally to keep mixture smooth.
• Stir in the cream.
• Pour slightly less than half the mixture into a buttered glass or ceramic 8 x 8 x 2 pan.
• Sprinkle with the mushrooms and sweet onions and half the cheese.
• Pour in the remaining batter and top with the rest of the cheese.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

NO CRUST CORNMEAL/POLENTA VEGETABLE PIE

Steps:

• Cook onion in olive oil until just tender, in a large round pot with a lid.
• Add curry paste and mix well.
• Add chopped carrot and cook on medium heat until carrot is tender or even lightly browned.
• Add water and peas.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add sugar.
• Boil for 2 minutes.
• Add cornmeal.
• Stir and remove from heat once thick (about 30 seconds).
• Cover and let sit 10 minutes.
• Cut into pie-slice-shaped pieces, and serve with ketchup. Enjoy!

CORNMEAL OR POLENTA PASTA

Steps:

• Food-processor mixing recommended, following the directions on page 160.
• Cut in wide strips of polenta pasta.
• Dress with a simple tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella.
• Also good with Brodetto with Lobster and Corn (page 299).