Tomato Basil Sauce With Polenta Recipes

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.

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.

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.

TOMATO AND GRILLED POLENTA STACKS WITH BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make polenta:
• Whisk together water, cornmeal, and salt in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Spread polenta into a 10- by 5-inch rectangle on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chill, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Prepare grill for cooking.
• Drain tomatoes while polenta is chilling:
• Cut 4 (1/4-inch-thick) crosswise slices from middle of each tomato. Sandwich slices between triple thicknesses of paper towel and press gently to absorb excess moisture.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Grill polenta:
• Cut out 8 (2 1/2-inch) rounds from polenta with cookie cutter. When fire is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds), grill polenta rounds in a grill basket until crusty, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.
• Assemble and bake stacks:
• Season tomato slices with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese. Assemble 4 stacks by placing a tomato slice on top of each of 4 polenta rounds (use a spatula to transfer tomato slices), then top each with another polenta round and tomato slice.
• Bake in middle of oven until hot and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
• Make sauce while stacks bake:
• Purée basil, water, garlic, lemon juice, oil, and sugar in a blender, scraping down sides frequently, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve stacks with basil sauce.

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 the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange polenta rounds on the oiled sheet.
• Very coarsely chop (do not puree) half the tomatoes in a food processor. Cut the remaining tomatoes in half (quarter if large). Combine the tomatoes in a bowl with 4 tablespoons oil and the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat.
• Stack 3 24x12 inch sheets of parchment paper on another baking sheet. (Don't use foil--the tomato acid will react with aluminum.) Spoon the tomato mixture onto one side of the stacked parchment. Fold the parchment layers over the mixture and crimp the edges tightly to form a sealed packet.
• Place the baking sheet with the tomato packet on the upper rack and the sheet with the polenta on the lower rack. Bake, turning polenta rounds once, until the polenta is light golden and the tomatoes are saucy (carefully open the packet to check; steam will escape), 25-30 minutes. (You can also cook the polenta on a grill pan or on a charcoal or gas grill).
• Spoon the tomato sauce over the polenta.