Simple Recipes for Every Day
Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta With Ratatouille
- Serves: 6
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
Ingredients
Ratatouille
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 small globe eggplant, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
Polenta
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1½ cups stone-ground polenta or yellow cornmeal
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, minced
Ingredients
Ratatouille
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 small globe eggplant, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
Polenta
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1½ cups stone-ground polenta or yellow cornmeal
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, minced
Method
Make the ratatouille. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub the cut sides of the garlic clove all over the bottom and sides. Discard the garlic clove.
On a clean work surface, spread out the eggplant, zucchini, squash, bell pepper, tomato, and onion. Drizzle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
Arrange the vegetable slices, alternating the eggplant, zucchini, squash, bell pepper and tomato in a circular pattern, working from the outer edge to the center of the pan. Scatter on the thyme leaves.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until the vegetables are tender, about 25 more minutes.
Meanwhile, make the polenta. In a medium pan, combine the stock, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta.
Cook, stirring often, until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 6 ounces of the goat cheese. If you'd like the polenta a bit thinner, stir in a bit more milk.
To serve, divide the polenta evenly among six bowls and spoon on a generous serving of the ratatouille. Top with additional goat cheese crumbled, toasted pine nuts, and basil.