mushroom-zucchini ragout over creamy polenta

I can think of few things more comforting than a hearty, aromatic vegetable stew served over a hot portion of creamy, soft polenta. Good any time of year, and downright great in the winter, this tastes best when made with a combination of domestic (white or cremini) mushrooms, shiitakes, and portobellos. If all three are available, buy equal amounts to make a combined total of ½ pound. If you can only get regular domestic mushrooms, increase the quantity to ¾ pound to compensate for the fact that these mushrooms shrink more during cooking and have a milder flavor than the other two kinds. Before starting, see “Mushroom Prep Tips” (Chapter 4: Vegetarian Entrées). Make the ragout first, and then while it simmers (the final step) make the polenta, so they’ll be ready at the same time.

This recipe is vegan.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red or yellow onion, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

½ to ¾ pound mixed fresh mushrooms (stemmed if using shiitakes), sliced or diced

2 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

2 small yellow crookneck or summer squash, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 good-sized clove)

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a combination of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary)

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

About 1/3 cup water

Creamy Polenta (recipe follows)

1. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, pour in the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the mushrooms and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to soften and any liquid they have given off has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, plus the garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook for just 2 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes with all their liquid, plus the water. Cover the pot with the lid slightly askew and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. (While the ragout is simmering, make the polenta.)

3. Serve the polenta in soup bowls or pasta plates, topped with the ragout.

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GET CREATIVE

• Garnish with crunchy coarse salt.
• Pass grated Parmesan cheese at the table for sprinkling over the ragout.
• Drizzle a high-quality olive oil over each serving.
• For a richer flavor, you can substitute butter for half of the olive oil.
• You could serve the ragout with penne pasta instead of polenta. Boil 6 ounces penne, drain, and toss with the warm ragout.

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creamy polenta

Makes 4 servings

Polenta, the dish, is Italian-style cornmeal mush. Polenta, the ingredient, is coarsely ground cornmeal, often found in the bulk bins in supermarkets and also commonly available packaged. Rich, creamy polenta isn’t difficult to make. As long as you keep it warm and keep stirring, it will stay nice and soft. You can add a little water if it starts to get too thick. It will firm up the more you let it cool.

4 cups cold water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup polenta

1. Pour the water into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then very gradually sprinkle in the polenta while whisking continuously.

2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking or stirring very frequently, for 15 minutes, or until the grains are no longer crunchy and the texture is smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

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GET CREATIVE

• To make this polenta richer, stir in 2 tablespoons butter and ¼ cup grated Parmesan or other flavorful grating cheese (such as pecorino or Asiago). You can also add a spoonful of Gorgonzola.
• You can pour fully cooked polenta into a loaf pan (rinse the pan first with cold water but don’t dry it) and refrigerate it. Once it’s chilled, unmold it, cut it into thick slices, and fry them in butter or olive oil in a nonstick skillet until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings or just a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and black pepper.