The following recipe, prepared by Jerry Finzi, appears on GrandVoyageItaly.com.
Ingredients
Polenta
- 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/4 cup mascarpone
Ragu
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium diced sweet onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 (28-ounce) can Tuttarosso crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves or two teaspoons dry
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Directions
- Cook polenta in a medium saucepan, according to package directions. At the end, stir in 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano and mascarpone. Cover to keep warm.
- Next, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Saute onion until translucent, then add beef and garlic, stirring often to break up meat. Cook until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer beef mixture to a plate using a slotted spoon and discard excess fat. Return meat to the pan, then add the crushed tomatoes, and the herbs and spices. Simmer for 20-30 minutes with the pan covered on low heat.
- Divide polenta evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with the ragu, top with a few fresh basil leaves and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano, then serve.
The cook time from pan to table is under an hour, so it’s great for a quick family meal during the workweek.
