Today Patri, author of Flavors and Moments , brings us the recipe to make polenta at home with a side dish that is divine and most appetizing: vegetables and Parmesan. A round dish, which you can quickly prepare in your day to day.

The horrific cold that we are going through this month of February... And I am thinking only of spring!!! Now I just want to prepare little things that bring me the most beautiful, bright and colorful season of the year! That's why I thought of this recipe that is nothing complicated but tasty!

A delicious polenta accompanied by a ragu of the most spring vegetables that we can find in our markets… Some peas, some fresh broad beans and some sautéed green asparagus. Mmm, irresistible!

Polenta is a traditional Italian corn semolina with which we can prepare many dishes, accompanied by seeds and aromatic herbs. In addition, its absence of gluten makes it a very interesting dish for celiacs and those intolerant to gluten.

Polenta can be found on the market in the form of instant or precooked flour, but it can also be cooked normally. The latter needs 25 minutes of cooking and is more difficult to find in our country. Today I have used the first one because it is the one I had on hand and you also save time without losing properties…. Although I have to admit that regular cooking polenta is delicious!

As for this recipe we want a puree type polenta, we will use three parts of liquid (water or broth) for one of flour, above all I recommend following the manufacturer's instructions! But this same recipe can be prepared with only two parts of liquid and you will obtain a perfect polenta as a base, which passed through the pan back and forth would be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and you can present it as a pizza base and pour the vegetable on top! Imagination to the power!! 

Fleur de Ligne Tokyo Design Studio porcelain bowl and Le Creuset ceramic mini cocottes .

Ingredients

For the polenta:

• A cup of instant polenta
• Three glasses of water or broth
• Mix of seeds (chia, sesame, sunflower seeds...)
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon of EVOO
• 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan (of good quality)

For the vegetable ragu:

• EVOO
• ½ onion finely chopped
• A clove of minced garlic
• 200gr of fresh peas (if you don't have frozen ones but the mini ones)
• 200gr of seasonal broad beans (if not frozen, but let them be the baby ones)
• A bunch of fine green asparagus
• 150ml broth (vegetable or poultry)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Elaboration

1. We start by preparing the vegetables. In a frying pan or low saucepan , add the olive oil , and over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until it turns transparent.
2. Add the peas, broad beans and asparagus, cook for a couple of minutes and pour in the broth.
3. We will have it ready in about 10 minutes or when we see that the vegetables are tender and everything is juicy but not soupy.
4. Add the salt and pepper and reserve.
5. Let's go now with the polenta. We want it to have a creamy texture because it immediately absorbs the liquid and becomes caked, so it must be served immediately after preparing it. In a cocotte pot we pour the water or the broth according to what we want to use and once it is about to boil, with bubbles at the bottom but without boiling, we add the appropriate amount of polenta. Stir well to avoid the formation of lumps and add the seeds, olive oil, salt, stir and add the grated or flaked Parmesan. We want it to be creamy, so in 3-5 minutes (depending on the manufacturer) we will have it ready.
6. We serve immediately and immediately accompany our vegetables on top (in my case I serve them in Le Creuset mini-cocottes , but you can also use some deep plates , tureens or bowls ).
7. We accompany it with a good jet of virgin olive oil, and at the table with a little more Parmesan on top!

Fleur de Ligne Tokyo Design Studio porcelain bowl, Le Creuset ceramic mini cocottes and Le Creuset skillet pan .

*Recipe adapted from Valentina Hortus.