Grilled Rosemary Polenta With Blistered Tomato Sauce

Grilled Polenta with Blistered Tomatoes Sauce
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🍅 🌽Simply Delicious, Beautifully Simple 👩🏻‍🍳

Here is a recipe for the most scrumptious supporting star to your dinner table.  It’s as gorgeous to look at as it is tasty to eat.  Creamy 🌽 corn grits are cooked into a savory mixture of broth, Parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary then grilled.  The Grilled Rosemary Polenta is then topped with a garlicky, sweet and quick sauce made with fresh cherry tomatoes 🍅, garlic and herbs and it comes together in no time.  It’s a marriage of two tastes that go so perfectly together and look just as good as they taste.  It’s Grilled Rosemary Polenta with Blistered Tomato Sauce.

Fresh and easy

🌽Polenta

Polenta, or cornmeal or grits, is a staple of cooking as rice is to some.  I will say we didn’t have it much when we were young.  I do remember my dad buying polenta in firm blocks.  He would slice it, then saute it.  I don’t recall that I cared for it much.  As an adult I was introduced to grits for breakfast by a good friend who grew up in the south.  She’s the one who taught me to add butter and have it for breakfast in the creamy form.  Ahhh, yes, that’s the ticket!

I make creamy polenta often, especially as a replacement for mashed potatoes.  It’s great with short ribs and we’re all familiar with that famous combo of shrimp and grits, right?  It’s all good.  In this recipe, the creamy grits are allowed to become firm, then sliced and grilled.  A lot of polenta recipes are filled with butter, cream and cheese.  This one’s pretty good, I use only Parmesan cheese which is a lower fat cheese and only 1 tablespoon of butter.  No cream or milk, it’s cooked in vegetable or chicken broth.   Here’s how you can make this Grilled Rosemary Polenta with Blistered Tomato Sauce too!

From Cornmeal to Creamy Polenta in 1, 2, 3   

Into a medium sized heavy bottom pot, add 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and heat to a simmer.   Slowly whisking constantly, add 1 cup of stone ground, yellow cornmeal and a pinch of salt. 

Reduce the heat to low and let the polenta cook at least 30 minutes. 

Cook polenta at least 30 minutes
Cook polenta at Least 30 minutes

You will need to stir the pot at least every 4-6 minutes.  The cornmeal needs the cooking time to allow the corn to take on the liquid and become tender and soft.

Add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary and 1 tablespoon butter, mix well to melt, then remove from the heat.  Add 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese 🧀. 

 

Parmesan Cheese in Polenta
Parmesan Cheese In Polenta

Spray a 11 x 17 pan with cooking spray, then pour the mixture into the pan.  Let the polenta cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled.  At least a few hours and up to a day ahead.

pour polenta into prepared pan to firm
Pour polenta into prepared pan to allow it to firm

Grill’en Up Some Grilled Rosemary Polenta

To make the Grilled Rosemary Polenta, Remove the polenta from the refrigerator, then cut into squares or triangles, about 16 pieces.  Lightly brush the top with olive oil.

 

cut polenta into squares or triangles
Cut polenta into squares or triangles

Place your indoor grill pan on the cook top and heat on high.  Once it’s hot, place the pieces, oiled side down onto the grill pan.  Let the polenta grill without touching for at least 5-6 minutes.  You want the polenta to get a nice crust on top. 

Grilled Rosemary Polenta
Grilled Rosemary Polenta

Before flipping, lightly brush the pieces with olive oil, then flip to grill on the other side.   Cook another 5-6 minutes, then remove to a platter while you make the sauce.

Put the Grilled Rosemary Polenta on a serving platter while you make the sauce
Put the Grilled Rosemary Polenta on a serving platter while you make the sauce.

Sauce’n 

This is a very favorite sauce technique.  It’s quick and easy and always perfectly delicious.

Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat on medium high.  Once the oil is hot, add 3-4 finely chopped cloves of garlic for about 10 seconds. 

olive oil and garlic
Olive oil and garlic

Reduce the heat to medium low and add 3 cups of cherry tomatoes.  I like the variety of cherry tomatoes, if you can find those in your store, otherwise, all red cherry or grape tomatoes work fine.  Let the mixture cook about 5-7 minutes until the cherry tomatoes are starting to burst.  Top with a 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, depending on taste.

A mix of colors makes these tomatoes stand out. 🍅

 

Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce cooks in no time!
Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce cooks in no time!

Plate’n 🍽

Pour the sauce over the grilled polenta, then top with fresh herbs.  This is great with either parsley or basil.  Top with some freshly grated Parmesan and Enjoy!

 

Grilled Rosemary Polenta with Blistered Tomato Sauce
Grilled Rosemary Polenta with Blistered Tomato Sauce

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