Comforting cheesy polenta topped with a mole sauce and roasted peppers.
I lived in Italy in a former life.
I crave pasta and risotto. If I buy canned tomatoes, they're San Marzano. And every soup I make simmers with a chunk of Parmesan rind. Unconvinced? I've got more proof.
Dessert? A fig crostata, prego. Appetizer? Farinata. And when I want comfort food, I make polenta.
OK, maybe it all just means I should live in Italy in this lifetime. But until that happens I can at least cook like I do. This is one of my favorite polenta recipes that I top with a mole and some roasted peppers. I know, I know. Moles aren't Italian. They're Mexican. But I lived there in another lifetime too.
Ciao.
For a more American take on polenta, you might also like to try these Cheesy Grits and Greens.
Cheesy Polenta + Mole & Pepper Relish
Ingredients
Mole
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoon spiced pepitas shelled pumpkin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 medium globe eggplant
- 5 large tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 cup coarsely chopped white onion one medium onion
- 1 serrano pepper optional
- 1½ cup vegetable broth divided
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Roasted Peppers and Crispy Mushrooms
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 2 large poblano peppers
- ⅓ cup cleaned chanterelle mushrooms see headnote, torn into long thin pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Polenta
- 2½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup polenta
- ⅓ cup fontina cheese or other melty cheese
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
Mole
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Set aside two tablespoons pepitas for garnish. Finely grind the remaining pepitas and peppercorns together in a spice grinder until reduced to a meal consistency.
- Place the eggplant and tomatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Place the garlic cloves on a small piece of foil, drizzle with oil, and wrap. Add them to the baking sheet. The total amount of olive oil used is about 1 tablespoon. Roast the vegetables until the skin of the eggplant is charred and the tomatoes and garlic are very soft, 40 to 50 minutes.
- This next step involves puréeing about three cups of sauce in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. (A blender can also be used.) Depending on the size of your equipment, you may need to do this step in batches. Slice the eggplant in half, remove the long strands of seeds, and discard. Scoop out the flesh using a spoon, and place in the bowl of a food processor. Remove any stems from the tomatoes, and slip off any skins easily removed. Add the tomatoes to the food processor bowl. Remove the skins from the garlic cloves, then coarsely chop the garlic and add to the bowl. Add the white onion, serrano pepper, ¼ cup of the broth, vinegar, and salt. Whirl like crazy until the sauce is smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced to roughly two cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground pepita mixture and stir constantly until it darkens in spots and becomes a coarse paste, about 10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant sauce and remaining 1¼ cup broth. Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Add seasoning or additional vinegar to taste.
Roasted Peppers and Crispy Mushrooms
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the peppers on the sheet and broil until completely blackened and soft, turning as needed. Place in a container or bag to steam; peel, seed, and coarsely chop.
- Heat a dry frying skillet over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 15 minutes, occasionally moving around, until the mushrooms release their moisture and the liquid evaporates. Add the butter to the skillet and sauté the mushrooms for about 1 minute. Add the peppers and sauté for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Polenta
- Bring the broth, milk, salt, and mustard to a very low simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the polenta and cook until smooth and no longer crunchy, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheese and butter. Immediately spoon onto a plate or into a shallow bowl. Spoon the mole sauce over and top with the roasted peppers, mushrooms, parsley, and reserved pepitas.
apuginthekitchen
Wonderful recipe Susan, although when I think of polenta I think of Italy the marriage of corn and the latin mole is a perfect combination, corn is such a staple in latin cuisine. Fabulous comforting dish!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Suzanne! Excellent point 🙂
laurasmess
This looks so, so delicious Susan! That creamy, soft cheesy polenta is a perfect accompaniment to the Mole. I love fusion food, as Suzanne said... the cornmeal seems to be a natural accompaniment in Latin cuisine so I think you've done an amazing job. I defintiely want to make this very soon, I'm drooling whilst looking at that photo! xx
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Laura! I confess I hadn't even thought about the fusion aspect until Suzanne mentioned it 🙂
Derik
I love San Marzano tomatoes. Even canned they taste so fresh! This dish looks like an interesting yet very tasty dish.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Derik! San Marzano are the best. I agree, it's amazing how fresh they taste. They cost more, but this is a time when it's well worth it 🙂
sippitysup
Wow. Did I know you another lifetime? These are my flavors too. GREG
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Greg 🙂
Christina
Good for you! I love polenta many ways, but have never tried it Mexican-style! The photo is fabulous! CC
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Christina!
Norma Chang
Cool combo, very creative.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Norma!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
I agree, polenta is total comfort food! I must have lived in Italy in my past life too. 😉
This looks amazing!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Sarah!
Mary Frances
Polenta seems like a natural partner for a mexican-inspired sauce! Looks fantastic!
mjskit
Now that's a great fusion dish! I'll put anything on polenta and obviously so would you. 🙂 Mole? Love it! Lots and lots of great ingredients and flavor! Wonderful dish!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Totally love polenta. I might not put ice cream on polenta, but I'd at least try it 🙂
Janna
I tried this recipe and it turned out really good.Thanks!