Baked Polenta With Mascarpone And Tomato Sauce

Baked polenta with Mascarpone and tomato sauce Recipe:  delicious vegetarian dinner entree. Soft polenta made with mascarpone cheese and baked with tomato sauce 

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Baked Polenta With Mascarpone And Tomato Sauce

Delicious soft polenta made with mascarpone cheese is baked with a delicious layer of mozzarella cheese and homemade tomato sauce then sprinkled with another layer of cheese on top that makes a decadent crunchy crust. What more can you ask for? It’s easy, delicious, and the perfect vegetarian dinner for you and your guests.

Don’t want to make it vegetarian? No problem! Add some crumbled cooked sausage, beef, chicken or turkey! Got some leftover bolognese sauce from last night? Add some in. This recipe is versatile and can be adapted to any flavor you would like.

Polenta is usually made with cornmeal and cooked for a long time in the stove. I have a shortcut: P.A.N. Cornmeal! Since this meal is pre-cooked there’s no need to spend hours stirring that polenta in the stove. Why do you think those italian grandmothers are so strong? It’s the polenta I tell you.

P.A.N. Cornmeal is the same ingredient we use to make arepas, empanadas, cachapas etc. I grew up with this brand and it’s dear to my heart. P.A.N. Cornmeal is part of my childhood and history. Now I am excited that the #1 cornmeal in Latin America is coming to American kitchens.

Instead of making my regular Venezuelan staples, I chose to make this Baked Polenta to show how versatile this product is. With one bag you can made all kinds of recipes, from the sweet to the savory. In the next few months, we will explore all the things you can do with P.A.N. Cornmeal, but today we will focus on this amazing baked polenta.

I love the fact that it’s gluten free, quick and easy. The polenta has a very soft and delicate flavor due to the tangy mascarpone that comes across every spoonful you take. The tomato sauce enhances the the creaminess of the polenta and takes it to the next level. The cheese as you can imagine, is the binder of the two. Definitely a dish you’ll want to repeat over and over. Best of all, you can make it in advance and bake off whenever needed.

I hope you can make this delicious Baked Polenta at home. If you do, please tag me on Instagram @livingsweetmoments and/or use the hashtag #LivingSweet – I promise to Repost it.

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Baked Polenta With Mascarpone And Tomato Sauce

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Baked polenta with Mascarpone and tomato sauce Recipe: delicious vegetarian dinner entree. Soft polenta made with mascarpone cheese and baked with tomato sauce

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Author: Tiffany Bendayan

Ingredients

• For Homemade Tomato Sauce
• 2 oz cans of crushed tomatoes 28, large
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon of dried Oregano
• 1/2 Teaspoon of dried Basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• For Polenta
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup of P.A.N Cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1 cup of grated Mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Assembly
• Polenta
• Tomato Sauce
• 2 Cups of Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

1. For Homemade Tomato Sauce
2. In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat add the olive oil
3. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook and stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning
4. Add the tomatoes and stir
5. When the mixture starts to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes
6. Check for seasoning and make the necessary adjustments
7. For Polenta
8. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the garlic powder salt and pepper
9. Slowly pour the P.A.N Cornmeal whisking constantly to avoid forming lumps
10. Reduce the heat to low and stir for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture becomes thicker
11. Add the mozzarella cheese and the mascarpone. Whisk until completely combined
12. Remove from heat and check for seasoning
13. Assembly
14. Spray an 8"x8" pan with cooking spray
15. Add a bit of tomato sauce on the bottom
16. Add half of the cornmeal
17. Add some tomato sauce and sprinkle in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
18. Pour in the rest of the polenta
19. Top with 1 cup of cheese
20. Cover and let the polenta cool for about 30 minutes
21. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
22. Bake the polenta for 20 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble
23. Place on the broiler for 2 minutes or until the cheese toasts up
24. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting
25. Enjoy!