Polenta with Bolognese Sauce

Name: Polenta with Bolognese Sauce
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 triangle, 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 teaspoon cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)
Ingredients: Sauce:; Cooking spray; 1 cup finely chopped onion; ¼ cup finely chopped carrot; ¾ pound ground round; 3 garlic cloves, minced; ⅓ cup dry red wine; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained; Polenta:; 1 ½ cups 1% reduced-fat milk; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth; 1 cup dry polenta; ½ cup (2 ounces) finely grated fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided; ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

6 Ratings
6 Reviews

These polenta triangles offer a tasty change of pace from the traditional pasta and sauce dish. You can make extra sauce to freeze and have on hand for busy nights.

By Cynthia DePersio

Recipe by Cooking Light August 2003

Gallery

Credit: Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Recipe Summary

Yield:

8 servings (serving size: 1 triangle, 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 teaspoon cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
To prepare sauce, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, beef, and garlic; cook 6 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, fennel, pepper, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes.

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Step 2
To prepare polenta, combine milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and broth in a medium saucepan. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 6 tablespoons cheese.
Step 3
Spoon polenta into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Let stand 10 minutes or until firm. Loosen edges of polenta with a knife. Invert polenta onto a cutting board; cut into 4 squares. Cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles. Place 1 triangle on each of 8 plates; top each serving with 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 teaspoon cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

263 calories; calories from fat 30%; fat 8.8g; saturated fat 3.8g; mono fat 3g; poly fat 0.3g; protein 15.9g; carbohydrates 28.6g; fiber 3.7g; cholesterol 38mg; iron 2mg; sodium 604mg; calcium 183mg.

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KDiDo00

04/14/2014

I thought the flavor was very good in this dish. It was a bit watery, but the polenta sopped up any liquid. On a scale of 0-10, I'd give it an 8. Others who tried it with me rated it at a 5.

bellysmom

01/19/2014

I made this last night for dinner and it was great and easy. I just rated it three stars because I am grading according to CL parameters. It is a good, solid recipe that I will definitely be making again. Also, after my family of 4 ate, there was plenty of Bolognese sauce left to make another meal. I plan to use it tonight to make a pan of lasagna. So that makes this meal very economical for regular use. Thanks CL for another great recipe!

EllenDeller

03/16/2013

I agree that this is really tasty, and I too crisp the polenta triangles a bit on my cast iron griddle. However, unless you have a lot of side dishes, a small appetite, or are feeding children, this recipe serves half as many as indicated.

sifullerton

02/29/2012

This was really wonderful, very simple and really yummy. I will make this one again.

JenSchuck

02/12/2012

tasted even better the next day reheated!

shaftermee

03/05/2010

Outstanding! The bolognese sauce was one of the best I've made and would be equally good over pasta. However, it was such a nice change to serve the sauce over polenta instead. I made my polenta in advance and then put the triangles on the grill right before serving to heat them and make them a bit crispy. I love recipes that can be made in advance and thrown together right before dinner, and this one fit the bill. Everyone loved it and asked to have it included in our regular rotation. It's definitely company-worth and would be impressive to guests.

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