When a dish makes the cover of a cookbook (like cacio e pepe pommes Anna), it better be delicious. The recipe should deliver what is promised and the final product ought to explode with flavor. Am I right?
Fortunately, Carla Lalli Music’s baked polenta with floppy broccoli, as seen on the front of That Sounds So Good, exceeded my expectations. Don’t let first impressions fool you. Just as Carla explains, “What [the entrée] lacks in visual panache, it gains in old-school (aka grandma-style, cooked-to-death) goodness.”
In fact, baked polenta with floppy broccoli may be my new favorite meatless main. The recipe calls for a short list of ingredients and comes together in about an hour. Follow Carla’s easy instructions on Pages 184-185 (or YouTube video) and you’ll end up with a humble but satisfying meal.
Recipe adapted from That Sounds So Good.
- 1½ pounds broccoli, stems peeled and then quartered lengthwise
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- ⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for finish
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and garlic and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer broccoli and garlic to a plate.
- In the same pot, heat ⅓ cup olive oil and chili flakes over medium heat. Add prepared broccoli and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring every 15 minutes, until broccoli is very tender, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to upper and lower position and preheat to 325 degrees.
- Place the walnuts on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, season with salt and toss to coat.
- In a large oven-safe pot, bring 5 cups water to a boil. Add salt and a generous pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Bring to a boil, cover and then place pot on lower rack. Place baking sheet on upper rack. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove walnuts from the oven, let cool and then roughly chop. Bake polenta for an additional 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Uncover, add butter to polenta and whisk vigorously until combined. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk vigorously until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with floppy broccoli, prepared walnuts and lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and top with additional Parmesan cheese.
