Baked Polenta with Vegetable Ragu

For the Polenta:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion (about ½ large red onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup polenta
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance (or regular butter)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large, oven-safe saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and salt and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn.

Turn the heat up to high, add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, gradually add the polenta while continually whisking. Once you have added all of the polenta cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 35 minutes, vigorously stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps.

Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, salt, and pepper. Pour the polenta into a 9 by 13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

For the Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 – 28oz. can crushed tomatoes with oregano & basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella Soy, Rice or Regular Cheese

Heat the crushed tomatoes and oregano in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until starting to get translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and heat 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; mix well. Partially cover, lower heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender.

Pour the tomatoes and oregano into the veggie mixture and let simmer 10 more minutes.

To assemble the dish:

Once the polenta is cooled completely, place under the broiler, and broil on high until crispy – about 10 minutes, making sure not to burn it. Pour the sauce mixture over the polenta and cover in shredded soy, rice or regular mozzarella cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and browning.

You can also make this ahead to serve later, which is what I typically do… Fix the polenta and fix the vegetable ragu. Refrigerate both. When ready to serve, broil the polenta until browned and heat the sauce on the stove over medium heat. Pour the sauce over the polenta and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cover the dish with cheese and broil until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.

Bon Appétit!