Polenta Lasagne

By CheeseDiva

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb lean ground beef
• 21/2 cups of your HOMEMADE MARINARA RECIPE or 3/4 bottle of Ragu Marinara (23.9 oz bottle)
• 2 -3 tbsp oil
• 12 oz zucchini, cut into pieces
• 2 celery ribs, cut into cubes
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes/crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp chopped oregano
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground polenta
• 7 1/2 cups water
• 4 tbsp butter
• 5 oz parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup milk (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 8 oz grated cheese (I used a mix of monterey jack and mozzarella)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from theflavorbender.com

Preparation

Step 1

Method Bolognese
Place the zucchini, celery, cloves and chilli flakes in a food processor or blender and process until pureed.
Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat and add the vegetable puree and saute for 5-6 minutes until the vegetable puree is thick and cooked through.
Add ground beef and cook until the meat has browned. Add Ragu marinara sauce, sugar, pepper, balsamic vinegar and about ½ tsp of salt (you will need more, so just season as you go).
Mix well and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Add chopped oregano and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
The bolognese sauce can be stored for later use in the fridge or freezer, OR kept aside until the polenta is ready. Polenta
PREVIOUS DAY - soak the stone-ground polenta in water OVERNIGHT.
In a large pot, place the soaked polenta and ALL of the water, and bring the water to a boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
When the water comes to a boil, stir the polenta till it becomes thick and starts to “spit” and bubble.
Reduce the heat to simmer the polenta and whisk/mix frequently until it thickens and starts to come off the sides of the pot (about 30-40 minutes).
Add salt (to taste), butter and parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese and butter have mixed through.
When the polenta cools, it will thicken more. If this happens, you can loosen it up by adding a little water/milk and warming it up briefly on the stove. Lasagna
Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Butter a 9 x 9 inch oven-safe dish.
Place half of the polenta mix in the buttered dish and spread it out on the bottom. Spread half the bolognese sauce and half of the grated cheese. Next spread the rest of the polenta on top of the cheese. Follow it with the rest of the bolognese sauce and then cheese. (You can cover the dish and refrigerate until needed, OR freeze for a few days).
Cover the top with foil and bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (longer if it had been refrigerated). Then uncover the dish and let the cheese melt, brown and bubble (about 15 minutes, depending on your oven).
Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 15 - 20 minutes before cutting into it. Best served warm.

Method