Photo: Polenta Lasagne Recipe
Ingredients
For the spinach/sausage:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves chopped garlic
- 3 (10-ounce) bags spinach, washed, any large stems removed
- Gray salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pound Italian sausage links, cooked and sliced 1/8-inch thick
For the ricotta mixture:
- 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For the polenta:
- 15 cups water
- 2 tablespoon sea salt, preferable gray salt
- 3 cups fine grind polenta
- 2 cups grated Parmesan
- 4 teaspoons roasted garlic oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
To assemble:
- 4 cups prepared marinara sauce
Directions
Polenta
Spinach/sausage mixture
- 1 cup jarred roasted, peeled and seeded yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 cup jarred roasted, peeled and seeded red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Ricotta mixture
For the spinach/sausage slices:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add half the spinach into the skillet. As soon as it wilts, add the remaining spinach. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add the sausage slices to marry the flavors together. Remove from heat.
For the ricotta mixture:
In a small bowl combine the ricotta, egg yolks, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- For the polenta
In a large saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta and cook over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft. Stir in the Parmesan and olive oil.
To assemble:
Set aside 4 tablespoons of the marinara sauce for the top of the lasagna. In large casserole dish, layer: 6 cups of polenta, 1/2 the spinach / sausage slices, 1/2 the peppers, 1/2 the marinara sauce, 1/2 the Parmesan, and 1/2 the mozzarella slices.
Repeat. Top with the remaining polenta (it may not cover the top completely). Distribute the ricotta mixture over the top in small dollops. Drizzle the reserved marinara sauce on top. At this point the finished lasagna can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to a day.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the pan on a cookie sheet (in case it bubbles over). Bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it is bubbling and hot throughout. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for several minutes before serving.
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By Allifoodi
on December 16, 2012
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My husband and I LOVED this recipe. Sent some to our neighbors and they raved about it. I read the reviews and for the reviews that were negative: It did come out like soft polenta and didn't slice like a lasagna, but does that really matter? Next time I may make the polenta with a bit less water and see how that works out. I used all quality ingredients purchased from a local Italian store: fresh mozzarella, fennel sausage, fresh ricotta and homemade San Marzano tomato sauce. With those ingredients, I'm just not sure how it could taste anything other than delicious. I'm making it for Christmas dinner. I'm going to make two; one version for the vegetarians, leaving out sausage and adding some eggplant. This recipe is fairly easy and absolutely delicious! The key is quality ingredients.
By Jody in Garland, TX
Garland, TX
on May 19, 2012
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This is really, really good!! I had no problems with the polenta being mushy maybe because I used a traditional polenta and cooked it for 30 minutes and it set up just fine. I also made half the amount of polenta called for because I wasn't feeding 16 people. 7-1/2 cups of water to almost two cups of polenta.
Put the first layer of polenta in the baking dish and let it cool before adding the sausage/spinach layer. I made another polenta layer in a separate baking dish and let it cool before I put it over the sausage/spinach layer. It could be that my polenta layers were a little thicker because I only used two layers.
Will be making this again. I love Michael's recipes.
By jonata1
Los Olivos, CA
on February 17, 2011
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This recipe has become a family favorite for special occasions. It's some work to prepare like all lasagne's are, but delicious! It's true that the texture isn't always consistent, but on your plate with a crisp green salad and a nice glass of wine...who cares! The flavor is amazing!
Read all 21 reviews