This easy recipe for tomato mozzarella polenta adds sweet simmered tomatoes and cubed mozzarella cheese to creamy polenta for the perfect side dish or comfort food supper. Flavorful and delicious!
Now that bowl up there is filled with one of my favorite comfort food combos – sweet sautéed cherry tomatoes and cubes of fresh mozzarella floating on a bed of creamy, buttery polenta. Or as the Southern husband likes to call them, grits.
And while we are on that topic, while I’m sure there is a difference between the two (and here’s a handy link from The Kitchn that tries to figure it out), it’s basically cornmeal that has been cooked lovingly on the stove until it is soft and scrumptious. Potato, po-tah-to, grits, polenta, whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious!
Here’s how you make tomato mozzarella polenta!
Did I mention that you need cornmeal? You can use any kind you like, but my favorite is this version made specifically for polenta by the amazing folks at Anson Mills. (Even though I still tell the Southern husband it’s grits.)
Whatever cornmeal you get, cook it up according to the package directions until it is soft and creamy, and then stir in some butter and parmesan cheese to take it from good to amazing.
While the polenta is cooking, make the sauce by sautéing some sweet cherry tomatoes in a little olive oil, and red pepper flakes just until they start to break down.
And last but not least, the assembly! Ladle some polenta into bowls, and then top with the cherry tomato sauce and of course, that delectable mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with oregano…
…and break out the spoons! And if you are making this for the Southern husband, make sure you tell him it’s grits. Ha!
Want to round out your meal? This recipe pairs well with...
Tomato Mozzarella Polenta
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
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This easy recipe for tomato mozzarella polenta adds sweet simmered tomatoes and cubed mozzarella cheese to creamy polenta for the perfect side dish or comfort food supper. Flavorful and delicious!
Ingredients
- 7 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Pinch of baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon oregano
Instructions
- Bring water to boil, stir in salt and baking soda. Slowly pour in cornmeal in steady stream, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.
- After 5 minutes, whisk polenta to smooth out lumps, cover and cook without stirring until polenta is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter and Parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, make sauce by heating oil and pepper flakes in skillet over medium high heat for one minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook until they soften, about 2 to 3 more minutes.
- Season to taste and remove from heat.
- Spoon tomato mixture with any accumulated juices over polenta, top with mozzarella and sprinkle with oregano before serving.
Polenta sounds so much more sophisticated than grits. Or, heaven forbid, cornmeal mush! I’m going to have to tweak this just a tad and use basil instead of oregano. Personal preference. Then I can call this homey dish something fancy, like Caprese Polenta. Thanks for another good one, Kate!
Caprese Polenta, that has a wonderful ring to it!