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Creamy Parmesan Polenta with Tomato Meat Sauce

Download Creamy Parmesan Polenta with Tomato Meat Sauce recipe

 Serving polenta with tomato sauce or your favorite Bolognese is pretty common in parts of Italy. My friend David introduced me to a wonderful restaurant in Carefree, Arizona – Café Bink (http://www.cafebink.com) – that offered a delicious version of this recipe. You can use your favorite recipe for tomato sauce or use the one below. It works well with any pasta and I usually make a big batch and freeze it in small containers to use when I need it.

Meat Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons butter (or bacon drippings)

1 onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)

3-6 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 pound ground beef

½ pound ground pork

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon table salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/4 cup heavy cream 

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes (San Marzano)

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 tsp sugar, honey, or agave

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

 1.    Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

 2.    Increase heat to medium-high and add ground meats, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes.

 3.    Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 -2 minutes.  Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Add crushed, drained diced tomatoes, sugar and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer slowly for 30-45 minutes.

 4.    Stir in herbs and simmer slowly until flavors are blended, about 3 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste

 5.    Serve over polenta or favorite pasta.

Creamy Parmesan Polenta:

6 cups water

Table salt

1 ½ cups medium-grind cornmeal, preferably stone-ground

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into large chunks, plus more for final serving

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for final serving

Ground black pepper

1. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.

2. Cover and cook, vigorously stirring the polenta with a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds once every 5 minutes and making sure to scrape clean the bottom and corners of the pot, until the polenta has lost its raw cornmeal taste and becomes soft and smooth, about 30 minutes. Stir in butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste. Divide the polenta among individual bowls and top each with a small pat of butter. Sprinkle generously with more grated Parmesan to taste and serve immediately with Tomato Meat Sauce.