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I love it when a dish sounds super fancy but is actually super simple and uncomplicated to make. This polenta con pomodoro is just one of those dishes. The tomato sauce comes together easily, stewed in a skillet with chickpeas, corn, garlic, and some spices for extra flavor. It’s then spooned onto a heaping pile of polenta enhanced with nutritional yeast. Topping the entire thing with crispy roasted asparagus and fresh basil adds that gourmet finishing touch that really takes this dish to the next level. Seriously, this Italian dish relies on fresh, local veggies and uses a few additional ingredients that take this from simple weeknight dinner to classy datenight delicacy.
⟶ the recipe
polenta con pomodoro with crispy asparagus
ingredients
10-15 asparagus spears, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 shallot, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried fennel seeds
1 cup whole cherry tomatoes
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon paprika
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 14-ounce can of garbanzo beans
1 cup roasted corn (fresh or frozen)
Salt and pepper, to taste
10-12 large basil leaves, sliced
4 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Pinch of salt
Drizzle of olive oil
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
45 minutes
Total time
1 hour
4 servings
instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the asparagus pieces in some oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside while the oven heats to make the sauce.
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium low. Add the shallot, and saute for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic, and saute for another minute. Add the fennel seeds, toasting them just slightly.
Add the cherry tomatoes, searing them for just a couple minutes before adding the diced tomatoes. Stir in the paprika, red pepper flakes. Turn the heat up to medium, and once the liquid begins simmering, cover, reduce the heat again, and cook for about 15 minutes.
While the sauce cooks, roast the asparagus in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until they’re browned and lightly crispy.
Returning to the sauce, remove the lid from the skillet, stir in the garbanzo beans, and cook for another 10-15 minutes to reduce the liquid. Stir in the corn, and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in the sliced basil leaves. Remove skillet from the heat, but cover to keep warm.
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal rigorously, and bring heat down to a simmer. Cook the cornmeal, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the final cup of water, whisking cornmeal to a smooth creaminess. Remove from heat and cover. After about 5 minutes, stir in the nutritional yeast, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
To serve, spoon polenta into bowls and top with the tomato sauce and asparagus spears. Garnish with additional basil leaves.
⟶ recipe notes
- I was really craving pasta with a tomato-y ragu sauce, but I knew that for a random weeknight I should try to be a bit healthier. A great idea if you’re craving carbs but don’t want pasta or another grain is to use polenta as a base. Made from just ground cornmeal (as long as you’re getting the right kind – check the ingredients to be extra sure!), it’s a healthy and super tasty alternative to wheat. I also stirred in some nutritional yeast instead of parmesan to make this dish truly dairy-free. For the “ragu,” I opted for a tomato sauce that incorporated protein-rich garbanzo beans and roasted corn for some extra pizzazz. The crispy asparagus on top was a special twist that I just had to include!
⟶ modifications
- There are a ton of different mods you can make to this dish. For example, I made this a truly vegan and gluten-free meal. If you’re craving more of an animal-based protein, swap the garbanzos for some ground pork or lamb
- If the nutritional yeast isn’t your jam, add a half cup of grated parmesan to the polenta – or skip it altogether!
- You don’t need to add the asparagus spears on top, but I thought it was a fun addition. If you want a different kind of veg, you can always add roasted zucchini, or wilt some fresh spinach into the tomato sauce
⟶ make it ahead
While I wouldn’t recommend storing the polenta (it gets quite quick and chunky in the fridge), you can definitely store the sauce in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days. You can use it over a pasta for a different day, or just make a fresh batch of polenta for round 2 of the same dish
