Description
This Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta with Ratatouille recipe combines rich, smooth polenta infused with tangy goat cheese topped with a colorful, baked medley of seasonal vegetables. The ratatouille is baked to tender perfection with herbs and spices, while the polenta is slowly cooked to creamy goodness. Finished with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil, this comforting dish offers vibrant Mediterranean flavors ideal for a wholesome dinner.
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 oz for stirring in, 2 oz for topping)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the center. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub the cut sides of the garlic clove all over the bottom and sides of the dish to impart subtle garlic flavor, then discard the garlic clove.
- Prepare the vegetables: On a clean surface, spread out the sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, and sliced onion. Drizzle them evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Toss gently to coat the vegetables thoroughly.
- Arrange the ratatouille: Arrange the vegetable slices in the prepared baking dish in a circular pattern, alternating each vegetable type starting from the outer edge and working toward the center. Scatter fresh thyme leaves evenly over the vegetables.
- Bake the ratatouille: Cover the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the cover and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized.
- Make the polenta base: While the ratatouille bakes, combine chicken or vegetable stock, whole milk, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Add polenta and cook: Reduce heat to medium and slowly whisk in the stone-ground polenta. Cook the polenta, stirring often to prevent lumps, until it thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
- Finish polenta with goat cheese: Remove the polenta from heat. Stir in 6 ounces of goat cheese until melted and creamy. If desired, add a splash more milk to loosen the texture for a thinner consistency.
- Serve the dish: Divide the creamy goat cheese polenta evenly among six bowls. Spoon a generous portion of the baked ratatouille over the polenta. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and minced fresh basil leaves for color and flavor.
Notes
- Use either chicken or vegetable stock depending on dietary preference or for vegetarian version use vegetable stock.
- Adjust the amount of milk added to the polenta based on your preferred consistency—more for creamier and thinner polenta.
- To save time, vegetables can be sliced in advance but for best flavor slice fresh before baking.
- To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking often until golden and fragrant.
- This dish pairs well with a crisp green salad or crusty bread to soak up the creamy polenta and ratatouille juices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/6th of total recipe)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
