Recipe: Baked Polenta With Ricotta and Parmesan

Baked Polenta With Ricotta and Parmesan

From the New York Times

Baked Polenta

We've eaten this twice this week. This is slow food, but worth it the effort. And, if you're working from home you can easily soak the polenta for an hour before baking. There's no need to stir it as it bakes, which is a relief.  Light and creamy, add a green salad and it's an easy supper all by itself.

  • 1 cup coarse polenta

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup fresh ricotta

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan

  • Black pepper

  1. Soak polenta in cold water for 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drain polenta, then place in a heavy-bottomed pot or ovenproof baking dish. Add salt and 4 cups of water.

  2. Place pot in the oven, cover, and bake for 45 minutes. (The polenta will begin to simmer and absorb water after a few minutes. No need to stir.)

  3. After 45 minutes, uncover and stir in the olive oil, ricotta, and Parmesan, but don’t over mix. Some of the ricotta should remain in big blobs. The mixture may be a bit soupy at this point but will thicken as it continues to cook. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until the top has browned. Finish with a generous amount of pepper.