Ok, I call this a recipe, but really there isn’t much to it. It’s more like an idea that you can run with. This is really delicious but maybe not something you want to eat every day, especially if you are carb conscious. ;-)
This is what you will need (serves about 4 people)
1 pack of ready made polenta, cut into ½” (1.25cm) ish cubes.
Olive oil for frying
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp dried rosemary
Salt & pepper
Spaghetti for 4 people – around 300 grams I think.
500 grams of tomato passata or tinned chopped tomatoes if you prefer
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced as finely as you like
1-2 fresh chili peppers, chopped finely
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt & pepper
How to make it
Boil spaghetti in plenty of water with some salt. When the spaghetti is al dente, remove from sauce pan and rinse with cold water. Rinsing it with cold water stops it from continuing to cook, it helps prevent the spaghetti from sticking together too much and removes excess salt.
Set the cooked spaghetti aside.
In a large sauce pan (why not use the one you cooked the spaghetti in, save on the washing up!), sautée the garlic and chili in 2 tbsp of water. When you start to smell the garlic, add oregano and salt & pepper. Add 1-2 tbsp of water if things are looking a bit dry. Stir and mix for a minute or so. Then add approx. 2/3 of the tomato passata. Stir well, then leave to simmer at low heat.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan. You want a nice amount of oil, so the polenta will be fried in it.
Heat the garlic, rosemary and pepper in the oil for a minute and then add about half of the polenta cubes. Fry on all sides, then put on a plate covered with kitchen roll to soak up some of the oil.
Prepare the rest of the polenta cubes in the same way. You may want to add some extra herbs and spices since some of it is sticking to the first batch.
While the last polenta batch is cooking, add the rest of the tomato passata to the tomato sauce. Taste the sauce and add extra oregano or salt & pepper if you like.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mix well to coat the spaghetti with sauce all over. Serve piping hot with polenta cubes on top.
You can easily save any leftovers for the next day, just keep the spaghetti separate from the polenta cubes. Re-heat separately. The polenta is best if re-heated on a frying pan.
Enjoy!
