Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces gliced mushrooms

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3/4 cup pesto (store bought is fine)

1 recipe Polenta (see page 150) or 1/2 a 13 ounce package instant polenta

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

4 ounces chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Polenta Spinach Pie

Torta Di Polenta Con Spinaci

Serves 8

Printable Version

Heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan set on medium-high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and pesto. (If you are using packaged pesto and the oil has settled to the top, stir well before measuring out the 3/4 cup needed for the recipe).

Cook the polenta according to directions. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour half the polenta into a greased 9 inch pie pan. Spread the spinach mixture over the polenta and top with the remaining polenta, spreading with a knife to distribute evenly. Let the pie sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

The dish can be made ahead, refrigerated overnight and reheated before serving. Simply cover with foil and bake in a 375 F oven for 1 hour.

Cook's Tip:

For a more colorful presentation, serve the wedges of pie on a bed of tomato sauce or with a dollop of pesto on top.