Best Roasted Vegetable Torta In Polenta Recipes

INA GARTEN'S ROASTED VEGETABLE TORTE (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.
• In a 6-inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables.
• Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.
• Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6-inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely.
• Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

ROASTED POLENTA WITH GARDEN VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Make the Polenta: Bring the chicken stock, butter, pepper, and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. While whisking the hot stock in a quick circular motion, "rain" in the polenta by letting it stream through your fingers. (This will prevent lumping.)
• Reduce the polenta to a gentle simmer; it must be stirred constantly for 25 to 35 minutes to prevent lumps or scorching. Be very careful when stirring, the mixture is very hot (think lava) and can burn you if it boils and sputters. If it begins to boil cover the pot and reduce the heat until boiling stops!
• The polenta is cooked when it is no longer grainy and has become creamy. (My grandmother says good polenta takes 30 minutes, great polenta takes 1 hour).
• Stir in the Parmesan and basil and pour onto a buttered sheet pan to cool. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cut the polenta into any shape you desire that's structurally sound. In other words, a shape that won't fall apart on the grill easily, or be difficult to remove from the sheet pan after roasting. Squares, triangles, stars etc.
• Make the Marinade and Vegetables: Whisk together the vinegar and garlic. While whisking, drizzle in the oil to make a smooth dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the vegetables with the marinade.
• When ready to serve, preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.
• Brush the polenta lightly on both sides with olive oil and grill, turning once, until the edges are brown and crispy.
• At the same time grill the vegetables until they are tender but still firm.
• Pile the vegetables on top of the polenta, then stand back and wait for the applause!

INA GARTEN'S ROASTED VEGETABLE TORTE (BAREFOOT CONTESSA) RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2 Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper. 3 Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned. 4 In a 6-inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables. 5 Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant. 6 Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6-inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely. 7 Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

POLENTA TORTA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. For the tomato layer: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the tomatoes. Return the pan to the heat and add the red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has formed a chunky sauce, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the bechamel sauce: In a 1-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Stir in the nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
• For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Stir the pesto into the bechamel sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
• For the polenta: In a large, heavy saucepan, bring 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over medium-low heat. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and the cornmeal is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. To assemble the torta: Working quickly, spread half of the warm polenta in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Add the pesto mixture and spread on top of the polenta. Spoon the remaining polenta on top and smooth with a spatula. Spread the tomato mixture on top. Cool the torta at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the layers have set, about 4 hours. Remove the outer ring from the pan, then remove the parchment paper. Place the torta on a platter and cut into thin wedges. Serve with grilled bread. Cook's Note: To toast the pine nuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

LAYERED VEGETABLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.
• Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetable are used. Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
• Bake torte in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.