Creamy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables
If you are looking for some comfort food that is also more on the healthy side, look no further. When I originally came across this recipe on Pinterest I figured I might not have much enthusiasm coming from my husband, Matt, when I presented it to him. What’s funny is, that is exactly how he felt when I told him it was what we were going to have for dinner that night. Honestly, I can’t blame him because I didn’t quite know how I was going to feel about it either. I mean, I absolutely LOVE roasted veggies of any kind and I used to make a yummy, creamy, breakfast polenta so I figured it wouldn’t be that bad. Well, I am happy to say that we were both beyond happily surprised when we sat down to dinner to have this dish. It truly tasted like a dish of comfort 🙂
What’s fun about this recipe is that it is so versatile! I know I say that with a lot of my recipes, but this really is! I strayed from the original recipe and made it my own and I a m not sorry about it one bit! Choose your favorite vegetables that either you have on hand already or that you truly love above all other vegetables. I chose my favorites to do in this version, but I am also daydreaming about making it with all root vegetables and sage instead of rosemary and havarti instead of parmesan. Or, maybe I’ll go more Mediterranean one time and toss in some eggplant and feta cheese. The possibilities are endless! For this one I chose bell peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash. See my colorful veggies below.
Creamy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables
A creamy polenta topped with roasted vegetables of your choosing becomes a beautiful and comforting meal to warm you up on those cool nights.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers, colors of your choosing (I used orange and red)
- 1 small head of broccoli, chopped into bitesize pieces
- 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 3 small or two medium zucchini and/or yellow squash
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 TBL olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 – 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 TBL chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 TBL balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup coarse cornmeal
- 4 cups low sodium veggie or chicken broth
- 1–2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)
- 4 TBL butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Bring the broth (or water if you are using instead) to a boil in a heavy-duty sauce pan or small Dutch Oven. I used our small Staub Dutch oven and it worked perfectly. You want something substantial so you can cook the polenta at a low heat without it sticking to the pan. Sprinkle in 1 tsp salt and gradually sprinkle in the cornmeal, all while whisking. Turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. You will want to keep an eye on this so it does not end up sticking to the bottom of the pan. It may take a bit longer to get it to a nice, thick and fluffy consistency. When it starts to pull away from the sides, remove from the heat and add in the cheese and butter. Add any additional salt if needed.
While the polenta is cooking, combine all of the veggies, garlic, rosemary, olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Place the mixture on a large baking sheet (I like to line mine with foil for easy clean-up). Roast veggies until they soften to your liking, about 20-25 minutes. I like to get a slight char on mine. Once they are done, remove the pan from the oven and toss the veggies with the red pepper flakes and balsamic vinegar.
Serve the warm polenta in pasta bowls and top with the roasted veggies. I like to add another little (or more) dollop of cheese to the top. Enjoy!
Notes
Remember, you can use whatever veggies you like! Change up the fresh herb as well as the cheese. This is totally versatile to do with as you’d like. Be creative and have fun with it!
Recipe adapted from familystylefood.com
Keywords: polenta, vegetables
