Creamy Parmesan Polenta With Tomatoes and Kale Recipe

Polenta doesn’t get enough love. The Italian corn porridge might not look as enticing as pasta, but one bite will prove you wrong. The silky, creamy texture goes with almost any dish, and tastes especially luscious with salty parmesan cheese stirred in. Top it off with olive oil–stewed cherry tomatoes and lemony kale for a sophisticated vegetarian entree.

Creamy Parmesan Polenta With Tomatoes and Kale

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the olive oil–stewed tomatoes:
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

For the parmesan polenta:
Pinch sea salt
1 cup instant polenta
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons ghee

For the kale:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bunch kale, stems removed
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Stew the tomatoes
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomatoes, sage, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook the polenta
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water and salt to a boil. Add polenta and cook according to package instructions. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and ghee.

Sauté the kale
Heat olive oil and salt in a skillet over medium-heat heat. Sauté kale until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.

Serve
Spoon polenta onto plates and top with stewed tomatoes and kale.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont