Tomato Basil Sauce With Polenta Recipes

FRESH TOMATO BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• In large saucepan, cook tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft.
• Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.
• Add onion mixture to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for 2 hours or until thick.

SAUSAGE WITH CREAMY POLENTA AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sausage: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli rabe to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to the ice bath; let cool. Remove and pat dry, then chop finely. Set aside.
• Run the pork shoulder through a meat grinder, first using the medium grinder-plate, and then using the small grinder-plate.
• Transfer the ground pork to a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, broccoli rabe, salt, fennel pollen, fennel seeds, red pepper and Parmesan. Mix well.
• Using a sausage stuffer, stuff the sausage mixture into casings, and twist into links. Cut the links to separate the sausages.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the sausage links into the pot, making sure they're submerged. Turn down the heat and simmer the sausages until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove and dry on paper towels. Set aside.
• For the polenta: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, 2 cups water and bay leaf to a boil. Season generously with salt, almost to the point of over seasoning. How do you know that you are there? Taste it! When the liquid has reached a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta in small sprinkles. Once all the polenta has been incorporated, reduce the heat to medium and immediately switch over to stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook the polenta until it begins to pull away from the pan, adding water to loosen it up if it becomes too thick. When the polenta is thoroughly cooked, it should look creamy and not feel gritty on your tongue. Remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mascarpone. Keep warm.
• For the tomato sauce: In a medium pot, combine the garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, 1 cup water, red pepper, basil and some salt. Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• To serve, spoon a pool of polenta onto a plate, add a ladle of tomato sauce, and top with a sausage.

FRIED POLENTA WITH TOMATO BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Butter a 12 by 14-inch baking dish and set aside.
• In a large pot, bring the stock and milk to a boil. While whisking, slowly add the cornmeal and continue to whisk until thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the red peppers and the blue cheese, if using. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and cool completely in refrigerator. When the polenta has cooled, cut into squares. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan. Place the polenta squares in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. In another saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the wine and butter and reduce until sauce has thickened and then add the basil and thyme. Transfer the polenta to a platter and pour the tomato sauce over the squares.

BAKED POLENTA WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place the water, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the polenta and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 2 chopped basil leaves; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the polenta to the prepared baking dish and arrange the remaining chilled pieces of butter over the top.
• Bake the polenta in the preheated oven until bubbly and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Decoratively arrange the slices of tomato over the top of the polenta, spread the remaining basil leaves over the tomatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Return to the oven and bake until the tomatoes are warm and the Parmesan cheese is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

PAN-SEARED POLENTA WITH SPICY TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish on rimmed baking sheet. Combine 8 cups water, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons salt in dish. Gradually mix in polenta.
• Place baking sheet with polenta in oven. Bake polenta 1 hour. Add pepper and stir to blend. Bake 20 minutes. Stir again and spread evenly. Bake until polenta is very thick, about 20 minutes longer. Cool polenta to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours (polenta will become firm). Using metal spatula, press polenta all over to even thickness. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut polenta lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 6 squares. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add polenta squares. Sauté until crisp and beginning to color, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer polenta to small baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining polenta, adding oil to skillet as needed.
• Divide polenta among plates. Top with warm Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs, if desired.
• Sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Italian markets. If unavailable, substitute an equal amount of regular yellow cornmeal.
• What to drink:
• A medium-bodied red Italian wine is great with the spicy sauce. One to try: Montresor NV "Il Veronese" Valpolicella ($14), a lovely red blend with dried fruit flavors and vanilla notes.

BAKED POLENTA WITH A TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
• Pour 3 cups of cold water into a saucepan and turn the heat up to high.
• Add 1 cup polenta/ cornmeal gradually, stirring until it is all mixed in.
• Stir in the paprika and nutmeg.
• Heat until boiling, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. NB: The polenta may spit if not stirred so be careful!
• When the polenta has thickened at the end of the 2 minutes, remove from the heat. Line a loaf pan with cling film/ saran wrap and pour the polenta in
• Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours until solid.
• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 3 minutes until soft.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, turn the polenta onto a chopping board and remove the cling film. Cut it into about 18 squares. Slices can also be used if they fit your baking tray better.
• Pour a third of the tomato sauce into a baking tray, top with half the polenta squares. Repeat the layers ending with sauce (alternatively I use a large shallow baking tray so I use a single layer of polenta squares with tomato sauce underneath and poured over the top).
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle the cheese over the top and return to the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

FRESH TOMATO AND BASIL CHICKEN OVER SUPER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan.
• While the stock is coming to a boil; heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat with the olive oil.
• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; add chicken to the hot skillet and cook 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned.
• Scoot the chicken over to the edges of the skillet, then add in the onions and garlic; continuing to cook for 3 more minutes.
• Add the remaining cup of chicken broth and cook 3-4 minutes or until reduced by half.
• While the sauce is reducing, whisk the quick-cooking polenta into the boiling broth in the saucepan until it masses; stir in the mascarpone cheese and Parmigiano and season with salt and pepper; you want the polenta to be slightly loose; if it gets too tight, stir in some more broth to loosen it up a little.
• To finish the chicken, add in the yellow and red grape tomatoes, stir to combine and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes or until the tomatoes are heated through and starting to burst.
• Add in the basil and toss with the chicken and tomatoes.
• Serve the polenta in shallow bowls and top with the fresh tomato and basil chicken.

TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with 1 Tbsp. oil. Arrange polenta rounds on oiled sheet.
• Very coarsely chop (do not purée) half the tomatoes in a food processor. Cut remaining tomatoes in half (quarter if large). Combine tomatoes in a bowl with 4 tablespoons oil and remaining ingredients. Toss to coat.
• Stack three 24x12" sheets of parchment paper on another baking sheet. (Don't use foil-the tomato acid will react with aluminum.) Spoon tomato mixture onto one side of stacked parchment. Fold parchment layers over mixture and crimp edges tightly to form a sealed packet.
• Place baking sheet with tomato packet on upper rack and sheet with polenta on lower rack. Bake, turning polenta rounds once, until polenta is light golden and tomatoes are saucy (carefully open packet to check; steam will escape), 25-30 minutes. (You can also cook polenta in a grill pan or on a charcoal or gas grill.)
• Spoon tomato sauce over polenta.