CookEat Recipe
Soft Polenta Gnocchi with Tomato and Cheese
Rough spoon-shaped pieces of thick cooked cornmeal, layered hot with tomato sauce, butter and cheese.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 250 g coarse yellow cornmeal suitable for polenta; About 1 litre water, with extra hot water as needed; 40 g butter; 60 g grated Parmesan or another suitable hard cheese; 250 ml plain cooked tomato sauce, or 2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in 200 ml water; Salt to taste.
Step 2
Bring the water to a boil with salt. Sprinkle in the cornmeal gradually while stirring continuously. Reduce to a gentle bubble and cook thoroughly, stirring often and following the grain package time, usually 35–50 minutes for traditional coarse polenta. Add hot water if it stiffens before the grain is tender.
Step 3
Heat the tomato sauce separately. If using the paste alternative, dilute it with the measured water and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Keep the butter and grated cheese ready.
Step 4
When the polenta is thick enough to stay on a wooden spoon and the grains are fully tender, lift spoonfuls and use a blunt table knife to slide rough pieces into a warm serving dish. Dress each layer with cheese, butter and hot tomato sauce. Build a soft mound and serve immediately. Do not roll raw cornmeal into flour-and-egg dumplings.
Step 5
For the sausage variation from recipe232, simmer 300 g whole fresh pork sausages in a small pan with about 100 ml water until their centres reach 71°C. Remove the casings, crumble the cooked meat and add 250 ml plain tomato sauce; simmer for 10 minutes. Layer the cooked polenta pieces with this sauce, the same 60 g cheese and 40 g butter in an oven-safe dish. Heat at 180°C until hot throughout to 74°C, about 15–20 minutes. These quantities and oven setting are practical estimates for this batch.
Step 6
For the Bolognese variation from recipe87, finely chop 50 g pancetta, quarter of an onion, half a carrot and two palm-length celery pieces; dice 150 g lean veal very small. Put all in a pan with 40 g butter and cook until the meat colours. Add a scant pinch of flour, then about 300 ml broth gradually and simmer until tender, about 45–60 minutes, with the meat mixture reaching at least 71°C. Season with pepper, optional nutmeg and little salt. Use this moist sauce and the 60 g Parmesan to dress the polenta pieces, omitting the main tomato sauce and additional butter.
Step 7
The Bolognese sauce may include about 5 g soaked, rinsed and chopped dried edible mushrooms, a few slices of truffle, or one chopped chicken liver cooked with the meat to 74°C. About 100 ml cream may be stirred into the completed sauce. Each is optional; tomato is not part of this Bolognese version.
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