Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole (Total Time: 1.5 hours, Servings: 6)

When we were on vacation in San Francisco, I ordered a delicious Polenta Lasagna at an Italian restaurant.  The polenta was creamy, the sauce was a thick marinara, there were a few veggies mixed in with the ricotta – overall, it was a pleasing stack of food to look at and eat!  This was my try at somewhat replicating this dish while trying my hand at a homemade pasta sauce. 

I started the process by making a homemade Arrabbiata Sauce from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

•  Approx.. 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes – I used two 14.5 oz. petite diced, one 14.5 oz. chipotle, and one 14.5 oz. with green chiles.
•  2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
2. Stir in garlic, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, salt and pepper.

While that was cooking, I moved on to a quick and easy polenta recipe from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Pour in polenta steadily, stirring constantly.
2. Continue to stir until polenta is thickened. It should come away from sides of the pan, and be able to support a spoon.

The original recipe only call for 3 cups of water, but I added more because when I was stirring it, I knew that it would be too stiff for the lasagna.  I also added some fresh oregano and basil (maybe 1 Tbsp. each), some grated mozzarella (about ¼ cup),and some garlic salt (about ½ Tbsp.) to the polenta mixture.  

While the pasta and polenta cooked, I also fried some thinly sliced strips of zucchini and yellow squash in a dash of olive oil.  I had sprinkled some salt and pepper on them prior to cooking.

After all of the components of my dish were complete, I made into casserole.  I started by spreading a scant amount of sauce on the bottom of an 11 x 13 pan (just enough for a light “dusting”).  I  added all of the polenta, layered strips of zucchini and yellow squash, poured the remaining sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkled some Italian shredded cheddar on top.  I covered the dish in foil and baked it at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

The casserole/lasagna tasted good, but I think that next time I’ll add even more liquid (perhaps some vegetable broth) and cheese to the polenta – after I baked the dish, the polenta was kind of tough.  I will also add some parmesan or garlic powder to the veggies when I cook them.  My husband enjoyed the dish and it was not too spicy for him!  In the future, I made add some more red pepper flakes (or cayenne) to the sauce to give it a little more kick. I may also add some soy sausage to get a little more protein into the meal.  Enjoy!