Polenta Lasagna With Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

From The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker

If you think ordinary when you think of slow cookers, think again. And if you think of chicken, beef, and pork, Lynn Alley will give you an attitude adjustment. You can take your meatless meals to a new level with her new book, The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals From Around the World. Try this recipe and you’ll see why Alley’s recipes, though exceedingly easy, are anything but run of the mill.

Serves 4 to 6

For most of us, the mention of lasagna conjures up mouthwatering images of rich tomato sauce layered with rich cheeses and thin noodles. But a type of lasagna can also be made using polenta rather than pasta. In this polenta lasagna, the old familiar formula appears, but the packaging (polenta instead of lasagna noodles) is new. I recommend making the tomato sauce a day ahead of time, and possibly having two slow cookers on hand so that you can pour the polenta quickly from one into the other.

Tomato-Mushroom Sauce
4 pounds flavorful tomatoes
1 ounce dried porcini or cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil (preferably a high-quality, fruity olive oil)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Basic Polenta
1 cup polenta
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Lasagna
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, if possible)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
6 large fresh basil leaves, rolled like a cigar, then thinly sliced into strips
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 4 cloves garlic
1 cup ricotta cheese

To make the sauce, using a paring knife, cut a cross in the stem end of each tomato, then drop them into a pot of boiling water. When the skins begin to come loose, carefully remove the tomatoes from the water with a skimmer, allow them to cool slightly, and then peel off the skins. Chop the tomatoes very coarsely and place them in the insert of the slow cooker.

Rinse the dried mushrooms, then soak them in a small bowl in about 1 cup of water for 30 minutes. Lift out the softened mushrooms, leaving any grit behind, and squeeze the excess liquid out of them. Add the mushrooms to the tomatoes.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and sauté the onion until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute longer, then add the mixture to the insert. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Stir in the remaining olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. The sauce can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated in a covered container.

To make the polenta, combine the polenta, water, and salt in a clean slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or until the polenta is creamy and the grains are tender. Stir once or twice during cooking.

While the polenta is cooking, prepare the lasagna.

To make the lasagna, oil the inside of a slow cooker insert (this is when having two slow cookers comes in handy!) and prepare and set out the other ingredients so assembly will be quick and easy.

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the Parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, basil, nutmeg, and pepper using your clean hands. In a small bowl and using a garlic press, press the garlic into the ricotta cheese and mix thoroughly.

When the polenta is done cooking, pour half of it into the bottom of the oiled slow cooker insert, carefully smoothing it into a neat layer. Next, carefully pour 1 cup of the sauce over the polenta, trying not to disturb it. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan-mozzarella mixture over the sauce, and then drop balls of ricotta over the cheese, using all of the ricotta. Carefully spoon in the remainder of the polenta, trying not to disturb the cheese–tomato sauce layer, then top the layer of polenta with the remaining cheese.

Cover and cook on low for about 2 hours, or until all the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot all the way through.

Allow to set for about 15 minutes after turning off the slow cooker. The portions may not come out set as perfectly as they would from a regular lasagna pan, but the contents will be colorful and delicious. This is another one of those dishes that is just as good the day after!

Suggested Beverage: Anything, just as long as it is red and dry. I can think of all sorts of wines I would enjoy with this dish: California Zin, Barbera, Chianti Classico, or super Tuscan (when I can get it).

TD&N Nutrient Analysis for 6 servings: Calories: 511; Total Fat: 32 g; Saturated Fat: 10 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 17 g; Cholesterol: 39 mg; Sodium: 757 mg; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 22 g

Reprinted with permission from The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals From Around the World by Lynn Alley, copyright © 2010. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc, www.tenspeed.com