Butternut Squash Polenta

Butternut Squash Polenta is a better fall or winter dish, but Scott had a taste for it the other night and we had a butternut squash that needed to be eaten. Great peasant food, this easy and satisfying vegetarian dish that can be made in under 45 minutes. You can also make it ahead and bake it in a casserole topped with cheese and walnuts, it's great for a potluck. The hardest part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the squash.


Butternut Squash Polenta

1 medium size butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch dice (about 4 cups)
1 yellow onion, chopped
8 fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. dried sage
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 tbsp GOOD quality balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

1 cup dry polenta
4 cups water or broth (chicken or vegetable
1 tsp salt

1 cup grated Asiago, Parmesan or blue cheese
1/2 - 1 cup toasted walnuts
chopped parsley for garnish

Toast walnuts in the oven for about ten minutes while you are chopping your squash. Be careful not to burn them like I always do.



Saute chopped onion, butternut squash, herbs, salt and pepper in melted butter or oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until tender and caramelized, about 20 - 30 minutes. When tender and slightly brown add a splash of balsamic vinegar and taste for seasoning.




While your squash is sauteing, bring 4 cups of broth or salted water to a boil in a heavy sauce pan. When it's boiling, slowly whisk in 1 cup of polenta. Go slow and keep whisking or you will get lumps. Now turn the heat very low and keep stirring. Cook and stir frequently for about 20 minutes or until think and smooth. (The cooking time will depend on the type of polenta you use. I use an organic, bulk yellow polenta from our store. You can also purchase "instant polenta" in the grocery store that cook in five minutes. If you can't find "polenta" look for yellow corn grits, they are basically the same thing.)

Once your polenta is cooked and your squash is tender, combine the two in a serving dish and add about 1/2 of the grated cheese of your choice (see note below). Garnish with rest of the cheese, toasted walnuts and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.

About your cheese choices, I used Parmesan this time because it was all I had in the frig. My favorite with this dish is Asiago cheese, the nuttiness really combines well with the flavors. You can also use crumbled blue cheese, however, in my house my son won't eat it that way.

To turn into a casserole, just dump your squash, polenta and cheese creation (it's good to add a little more liquid if you are going to bake it to prevent the polenta from getting to firm, a splash cream or 1/2 & 1/2 is nice.) into a greased casserole dish and top with more grated cheese and walnuts. Bake @ 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.