Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta With Ratatouille

Name: Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta With Ratatouille
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: European, French, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 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; 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

8 steps

Prep:20minCook:45min

Ratatouille is an ideal partner for creamy goat cheese polenta. In this recipe, they come together as the vegetarian dinner of your dreams!

Updated at: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 23:36:43 GMT

Ingredients

6 servings

Ratatouille:

4 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil

1garlic clove

halved

1globe eggplant

small, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1zucchini

medium, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1yellow squash

medium, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1yellow bell pepper

or orange, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

4Roma tomatoes

cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1yellow onion

large, thinly sliced

1 teaspoongarlic powder

1 teaspoonkosher sea salt

black pepper

freshly cracked, to taste

5 sprigsfresh thyme

leaves removed

Polenta

6 cupschicken stock

or vegetable

2 cupswhole milk

plus more as needed

1 ½ teaspoonskosher salt

½ teaspoonblack pepper

freshly cracked

1 ½ cupsstone-ground polenta

or yellow cornmeal

8 ouncesgoat cheese

¼ cuptoasted pine nuts

10fresh basil leaves

minced

Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until the vegetables are tender, about 25 more minutes.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

Cook, stirring often, until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

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.