Easy Polenta Pizza

A few posts ago, I was excited to share a pretty easy pizza crust recipe that was no-fuss and made for outdoor grilling.  I would like to offer an even easier crust that requires no proofing and offers a completely different taste base for pizza toppings.  Another plus is that this crust is gluten free. Thumbs up!

Cooking polenta is a quick process.  Heating water (or stock), whisking in the cornmeal, and stirring until it begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan takes all of about 5-8 minutes. The cooked polenta crust is placed into a pie pan and smoothed to accommodate toppings of your choice. Then it's popped into the oven to finish off.  You probably already know that when warm polenta cools, it firms nicely, taking the shape of the receptacle into which it was placed.  So moving forward, any leftover pizza will showcase a crust that has a very stable personality.

Recently I happened to be reading USA Today (Tuesday, September 30), and in the Life section there was a snapshot on the state of vegetarians.  A survey conducted by the North American Vegetarian Society shared that there has been a 300% increase in the number of vegetarian adults in the past 18 years.  Additionally, in the past 21 years, there has nearly been an 800% increase in the number of vegetarian restaurants.  Want more?  Did you know that nearly half of adults consume one or more vegetarian meals per week?  I feel a segway coming on...

This recipe comes from a cookbook I've owned for decades called Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin.  The cookbook includes over 100 meatless entrées that use simple ingredients and are quick and easy to prepare.  Vegetarian main courses have come a long way; however, the recipes in this cookbook focus on 30-minute preparation and a relaxed approach to cooking with vegetables, grains, and legumes.  In her book, Lemlin calls this recipe Quick Polenta and Gorgonzola "Pizza".

Happy Belated Vegetarian Day! (October 1 is World Vegetarian Day.)

Notes:

I added the nutmeg to the cornmeal and placed both into salted water.  I used one large Roma tomato and sliced pepperocini for heat and color.  Pushing the cooling polenta up the sides of the pie pan allowed it to resemble a crust.  Eating right out of the oven, the pizza will be softer.  Cooling down to room temperature or chilling overnight will produce more sharp-edged slices.  I am hard-pressed to recommend one over the other.

Nutmeg sprinkled over cornmeal

Easy Polenta Pizza
recipe modified from Main-Course Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin

3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt (feel free to omit the salt if using salted butter)
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
1 medium tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1)  Preheat the oven to 400º F and grease a 9-inch pie plate.
2)  Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan.  Reduce the heat to low.
3)  Drizzle in the cornmeal and nutmeg, whisking constantly to prevent clumping and splashing.
4)  While whisking, cook about 5 minutes or until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan.

5)  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and Parmesan cheese until incorporated.
6)  Using a spatula, scrape the polenta into the pie plate, smoothing the top.
7)  Let sit for 10 minutes or cover and chill for a few hours.  Bring to room temperature before beginning the next step.

Push the polenta up the sides to resemble a crust

8)  Cover the top of the polenta crust with the grated mozzarella.  Lay the tomato slices over the cheese.  Sprinkle the Gorgonzola over the tomatoes.  Top with pepperoncini slices and season with ground pepper.

9)  Bake for 20 minutes, until hot and sizzling, and the crust has golden brown flecks.