Baked Polenta with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers

1 Preheat oven to 400 ° F

2 Bring 3 ¼ cups water to a boil in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, add a
pinch of salt, and slowly drizzle in the polenta, a bit at a time while whisking
continuously to prevent lumps. Turn the heat to low and keep at a very low
simmer. Switch to a wooden spoon, and stir continuously for 20 minutes. Polenta
will pull away from the sides when done. Spoon onto a large wooden board or
smooth countertop and using a spatula or bench scraper, smooth the polenta into
a thin, flat sheet about 15-inches by 9-inches. Allow to cool and harden.

3 Wash, remove stem, and slice eggplants into ½ inch slices. Set a colander on top
of a bowl, and add some slices to the colander. Sprinkle with salt. Add another
layer of eggplant slices and salt. Continue with the rest of the eggplant
slices. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to let the salt bring out the
astringent liquid.

Using a paper towel, blot off excess water. Place eggplant slices on a baking
dish, pour on 2 tbsp. olive oil, mix and throw in a 400 ° F oven for 10 minutes
until soft.

4 If you have a gas stovetop, blacken the skins of the peppers over the flames.
Otherwise, use the broiler and set the peppers directly on the rack and turn
halfway through. Once the skins are black and bubbly (about 5 minutes per side)
remove the peppers, and place them in a plastic bag to steam. Once they are cool
enough to touch, remove from the bag. Peel off the blackened skins and discard.
Slice open the peppers with a knife and scrape away the seeds. Cut the peppers
in long strips.

5 In a large bowl, mix the eggplant, peppers, and ⅓ cup of the cheese. Stir to
combine. Divide into 3 equal portions.

6 Cut the polenta into small squares. In an 8 x 8 inch baking dish, cover the
bottom with one layer of polenta squares. Spoon ⅓ of the eggplant/pepper mixture
over the top. Add another layer of polenta, then ⅓ of eggplant/pepper mixture.
Add last layer of polenta and finish with eggplant/pepper layer and the rest of
the cheese.

7 Bake in the 400 ° F oven for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and top is
golden. Let dish sit for 5- 8 minutes before serving.

Baked Polenta with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers

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🧂 Ingredients

Instructions

Baked Polenta with Eggplant and Sweet Peppers

Course:

Cuisine:

Keywords:

🧂 Ingredients

Instructions

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