Do you want to serve tradition even at Christmas, but are you afraid of bringing coarse and not at all elegant dishes to the table? No problem: I'll come to your rescue. Where I come from, one of the "main dishes" is represented by polenta, a peasant food, a typical recipe of the poor which, with some precautions, turns into a rich and elegant dish. I propose you a beautiful and spectacular roll of stuffed polenta!
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Identity Card of the Recipe
- 86 KCal Calories per serving
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Ingrediants
For the polenta
- 1 L of water
- 1 tablespoon of coarse salt
- 250 g of precooked corn flour or 300 g of yellow corn flour
For the filling and topping
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 pinch of pepper
- Q.b. of salt
- 1 sprig of parsley
- 400 g of tomato puree
- 150 g of smoked cheese
- 200 g of champignon or chiodini or pioppini mushrooms
- Steamed food: 200 g of spinach
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Materials Needed
- Casserole for polenta
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Steamer for spinach
- Casserole for mushrooms
- Dishcloth
- Film or parchment paper
- Sauce pan
- Whip
Preparation
- Prepare the polenta. Pour the water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add salt to taste and pour in the cornmeal, continuing to mix with the whisk to avoid the formation of lumps. Cover with the lid and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Did you know that
To speed up the time, you can use precooked cornmeal. In this case, the procedure will be the same, but what changes is the quantity of corn flour: for a liter of water you will have to use 250 g of pre-cooked corn flour. The polenta is ready in 5 minutes.- Meanwhile, prepare the sautéed mushrooms. In a saucepan, heat a drop of oil and flavor with a clove of garlic. Pour the cleaned fresh mushrooms, add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10-15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Finish with fresh parsley .
- Now devote to cleaning the spinach. Steam the spinach, then squeeze and weigh 200 grams. Chop the spinach coarsely and sauté them in a pan with a drop of oil for a few minutes, so that they flavor.
- Prepare the accompanying sauce. In a saucepan, pour two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, flavor with a clove of garlic and add the tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for at least 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced .
- Prepare the support to make the polenta roll. On a pastry board, place a cloth and line it with baking paper or with film resistant to high temperatures (eg microwave film).
- When the polenta is ready, quickly turn it over onto the parchment paper, over the tea towel. Stuff with spinach and mushroom sauce, taking care to cover the entire surface, but leaving at least two cm of free edge. Fill with sliced scamorza cheese (or another cheese) and grated parmesan cheese. with the cloth, wrap the roll immediately, starting from the long side and sliding the polenta as the roll forms.Seal the roll and let it cool so that it takes on a firm consistency.
The advice ok
If the roll should open during this phase, it is advisable to weld the parts by moistening your hands with a little water: the points will close immediately!
It is possible to keep 2-3 tablespoons of polenta aside, spread it on a surface, level it and let it cool. Once cold, cut the polenta with a cookie cutter until you get stars.- Once cold, cut the roll into slices a couple of cm wide, using a moistened knife. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and heat them for 5-6 minutes at 200 ° C.
- Remove from the oven and serve the slices with the tomato sauce and the polenta stars.
Alice's comment - PersonalCooker
Here is an example of how to bring the tradition of my country, Veneto, to the table, even at Christmas. A spectacular recipe, which you can serve as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to a second dish! You can clearly customize the roll according to your tastes: I also really like it with a stuffing of cabbage and speck!Nutritional values and Health Comment on the recipe
The Rotolo di Polenta with Mushrooms and Spinach is a food that falls within the group of first courses.
It has a moderate caloric intake, mainly provided by carbohydrates, followed by lipids and finally by proteins.
Carbohydrates are mainly complex, monounsaturated fatty acids and proteins of medium and high biological value.
Cholesterol is present in small quantities, while fibers are not abundant.
The Polenta Roll with Mushrooms and Spinach is a food that, in the right portion, lends itself to the diet of the overweight subject. In case of hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia it requires rather contained doses.
It has no contraindications for celiac disease but contains lactose. It lends itself to the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, while it is not suitable for vegan nutrition.
The average portion of Polenta Roll with Mushrooms and Spinach is about 300-400g (260-340kcal).