Creamy polenta with roasted vegetables
Soft, cheesy polenta topped with jammy roasted cherry tomatoes, zucchini and peppers and a drizzle of balsamic, cozy comfort food that happens to be gluten-free.
- 45 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.43 a serving
- 410 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 zucchini, cut into chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 1 package cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- 4 cups water
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Each serving has about 410 calories, 10 g protein, 47 g carbs and 21 g fat, and costs about $2.43 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No zucchini? Yellow squash works.
- No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F. On a large , the zucchini, pepper, onion, tomatoes and garlic with the oil, Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon salt.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
25 minutes, stirring once, until the tomatoes burst and the vegetables are at the edges.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 25 min
Meanwhile, bring the water and the rest of the salt in a large over high heat. Pour in the cornmeal in a slow stream, the whole time.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
High heat
Dolly’s tip: Pour slowly and keep whisking or the cornmeal clumps. Lumps now mean lumps later.Turn the heat to low, set the and cook 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until thick and creamy.
Lid ajar. Lid ajar means resting the lid on the pot slightly off-center, leaving a small gap. Some steam escapes, so the sauce thickens and doesn’t boil over, while most of the heat stays in.
How you’ll know: A thin wisp of steam drifts out of the gap, and the pot bubbles gently without spilling.
Low heatTimer: 25 min
Dolly’s tip: Polenta bubbles and spits like lava, so stir with a long spoon and keep the lid partly on.Stir in the butter, parmesan and milk until smooth.
Spoon the polenta into bowls, top with the vegetables and their juices, and with balsamic. Scatter the basil over.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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