Description
This Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta with Ratatouille is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender roasted vegetables layered in a circular pattern, complemented by rich, creamy polenta infused with tangy goat cheese. Toasted pine nuts and fresh basil add a delightful crunch and aromatic finish, making it a perfect vegetarian meal that’s both satisfying and elegant.
Ingredients
Scale
Ratatouille
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 small globe eggplant, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
Polenta
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1½ cups stone-ground polenta or yellow cornmeal
- 8 ounces goat cheese (6 ounces for mixture, 2 ounces for topping)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, minced
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F and place a rack in the center position. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Rub the cut sides of the halved garlic clove all over the bottom and sides of the dish to infuse it with flavor, then discard the garlic clove.
- Prepare the Vegetables: On a clean surface, arrange the sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them, then sprinkle with garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Toss gently to coat all the slices evenly.
- Assemble the Ratatouille: Arrange the vegetable slices in the greased baking dish in a circular pattern, alternating the veggies from the outer edge toward the center. Scatter the fresh thyme leaves over the top to add herbaceous notes.
- Bake the Ratatouille: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 25 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
- Prepare the Polenta Base: While the ratatouille is baking, combine the chicken or vegetable stock, 2 cups of whole milk, kosher salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat.
- Cook the Polenta: Slowly whisk in the stone-ground polenta, stirring frequently to avoid lumps. Continue to cook and stir often until the polenta thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
- Finish the Polenta: Remove the pan from heat and stir in 6 ounces of goat cheese until melted and well combined. If you desire a thinner consistency, gradually add more milk and stir until you reach the preferred texture.
- Serve: Divide the creamy polenta evenly among six bowls. Spoon a generous helping of the roasted ratatouille on top. Garnish each serving with the remaining crumbled goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and finely minced fresh basil leaves for added color and flavor.
Notes
- Use stone-ground polenta for the best texture; instant polenta will not yield the same creamy consistency.
- Vegetable stock can be used instead of chicken stock to keep the dish vegetarian.
- For a vegan version, substitute goat cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative and use vegetable stock and non-dairy milk.
- To toast pine nuts, dry roast them in a skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
- The ratatouille can be prepared a day ahead and gently reheated before serving; polenta is best served fresh.
- Adjust seasoning at the end to your taste, especially salt and pepper.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
