Polenta with Cauliflower

My husband grew up eating "Polenta," which is an Italian word whose translation means "a thick mush made of cornmeal boiled in water or stock." His mother usually added cut up broccoli to the water as the cornmeal cooked, and then when it was thickened, but still soft, she would pour out a large soup bowl size serving for each person in the family and then added a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top. It was often their whole meal for the evening! It was inexpensive, nutritious and filling.

When I received my October 17, 2008 issue of Family Circle Magazine this week I saw a feature article called "Amazing Grains," which had a recipe for "Polenta With Cauliflower," which I immediately knew I'd make for dinner as a special treat for my husband.

It was delicious! It was a nice, low cost and satisfying vegetarian meal, perfect for a crisp autumn evening.

Polenta With Cauliflower

Makes: 6 servings Bake: 50 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes Prep: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup instant polenta (white or yellow ground cornmeal)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 2-pound head cauliflower
1 jar (28 ounces) marinara sauce
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. In small bowl, combine polenta and 2 cups cool water. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the salt and pepper. Stir polenta into boiling water. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes, stirring. Spread in prepared dish

3. Cut cauliflower into equal-size florets. Spread half over polenta. Top with 1-1/2 cups marinara sauce. Sprinkle with half the bread crumbs and half of the mozzarella. Repeat layering, ending with mozzarella. ( *if you like you cauliflower very soft you might want to par boil the florets and drain the well before using. When I made this recipe the cauliflower was semi soft)

Cover with foil. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan and bake 10 more minutes. Let rest 15 minutes.

I served it with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on each serving, and we had a green salad as a side. My husband loved it, and it brought back some of his childhood memories.

That's comfort food, Italian style!