Ingredients for Polenta and Vegetable Torte
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 (16 oz) tubes refrigerated cooked polenta
- 1 1/2 c bell peppers (red, green, or yellow; chopped) (2 peppers)
- 2 1/2 c zucchini or yellow squash (cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices) (2 medium)
- 1 c fresh mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 c cheddar or mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/3 c fresh basil (lightly packed and torn)
Cooking Instructions for making Polenta and Vegetable Torte
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat about 4 minutes or until oil is fragrant and garlic is translucent but now brown. Remove from heat.
Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with foil. Cut each tube of polenta into eleven slices, about 1/2 inch thick each. Place polenta slices in the prepared baking pan. Brush with 1 tbsp of the garlic oil; sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper. Roast about 15 minutes or until polenta is heated through and edges are lightly browned, turning once. Set aside. Reduce oven temperate to 350 F.
In an extra large skillet heat the remaining garlic oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers, squash, and mushrooms; cook about 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.
In the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, place as many slices of polenta that will fit in a single layer (about 11). You will be able to see the bottom of the pan between the curves of the polenta, but the slices should be touching. Then layer with 1/2 cup of the cheese, half of the vegetables, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the remaining polenta, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the remaining vegetables, the tomatoes, and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake about 35 minutes or until heated through. Cool in springform pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, loosen edges of torte from sides of pan; remove sides of pan. Sprinkle torte with basil.
Leave a Reply