dev.everybodylovesitalian.com
Recipes 

Eggplant Ragu with Creamy Polenta

Marc Coffey

Eggplant Ragu with Creamy Polenta

Sweet, and sour, and creamy and delicious in every bite. Sub in any veggies you have laying around.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup basil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup polenta
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 portabella mushroom (stem too!)
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

TOOLS YOU NEED

PREP

  • Warm up ~5 cups of water in kettle or large stockpot
  • Measure out ingredients and set aside

RECIPE DIRECTIONS

  1. Place a medium pan over high heat and fill with 5 cups of hot water. Add the polenta to the pan and stir.
  2. Season with a big pinch of salt. Let it cook to absorb the water, stirring occasionally.
  3. Now place a large pan over high heat to warm up.
  4. Meanwhile, cube up your eggplant. Take your portabella and scrape the gills from the underside of the cap with a spoon.
  5. Next dice up your mushroom. Your pan should be screaming hot by now.
  6. Add your olive oil to the hot pan.
  7. Toss the eggplant and mushroom into the pan. Season with salt, pepper and, if you like it spicy, chili flakes. Give the mixture a good toss.
  8. Grab your tomatoes and slice each in half, or try our hot tip to slice several at a time. Add the tomatoes to the ragu, scrunching them as you add them in.
  9. Add the apple cider vinegar and sugar to the pan and toss it up.
  10. Grab your parm and grate it up. Once the polenta reaches the applesauce-looking stage, lower the heat. Add the butter, cream cheese, and parm to the polenta and season generously with salt. Stir it up.
  11. Grab a plate. Tear up some basil, add it to the ragu, and toss one last time.
  12. Pour a pile of polenta right in the center of your plate.
  13. Top with a healthy portion of ragu.
  14. Garnish with a final grate of parm and a drizzle of olive oil.