Baked Polenta With Arugula
baked polenta rounds with arugula
I have always loved polenta and in the most traditionally cooked ways. Polenta is popular in Italy and Latin America where many times it is served with a red sauce on top. Sometimes I make it in this way too but it is a heavier dish and better left for the winter time. These polenta rounds are made in a more contemporary way and are lighter as well as easy to make since you can buy a tube of pre-cooked polenta and just cut slices.
Usually an 18 ounce tube will serve about 16 rounds slices or 8 people, although most will want more than two slices each so account for that. You need some arugula, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and freshly cracked pepper and voila! Of course you also need an oven and about 5-10 minutes of your time.
Bake for 7 minutes or so and you have a delicious side dish or appetizer.
Savory, simple and colorful. People will think you slaved over this…but you didn’t!
- 1 18 ounce tube of pre-cooked polenta
- garlic powder
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- 4 cups of arugula (washed and dried) (2 cups per 8 round slices of polenta)
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Grease baking sheet with olive oil
- Slice rounds from polenta tube (should be about 16 rounds ¼ inch thick)
- Arrange polenta rounds in baking sheet
- Drizzle olive oil on top of rounds
- Sprinkle both sides with garlic powder, sea salt and pepper
- Arrange arugula on top of rounds
- Bake for 5-7 minutes until oil is simmering and arugula is wilted
- Drizzle with extra olive oil (optional)
- Serve
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Hi Tabatha! This may be a crazy question, but what is exactly is polenta? I’ve heard of it but have never tasted it before. However it looks like something I would really like, especially in a simple, light dish like this.
Hi Karielyn! Polenta is just really a form of cornmeal. You can buy it in granule form and make it from there (takes a few minutes only). You can serve it hot with a mix of herbs and vegan cheese (delish) or let it cool in a pan and cut it into squares or rounds and bake or grill. It’s super versatile. I think most Whole Foods carry bags of polenta and also the ready made pre-cooked in tubes. Most Italian and Latin American food stores will carry the granule form though for sure.