Polenta with Homemade Tomato-Seafood Sauce

Add some fresh spinach, garlic, and Italian cheeses to your polenta to give it that extra amazing flavor. The homemade tomato seafood sauce in this recipe is the secret to impressing your guests! This recipe is easy to alter to your preferred taste by adding more or less spices as you please.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 458 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• garlic salt to taste
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 ½ cubes fish-flavored bouillon cubes
• 3 cups canned diced tomatoes
• 1 pound mixed frozen seafood
• 4 squid, cleaned and cut into rings and tentacles
• 1 cup coarse polenta (not instant)
• 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/4-inch slices

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until the onion has softened and the garlic has begun to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning, parsley, bouillon cubes, and red wine; simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the bouillon cubes. Stir in canned tomatoes, sugar, cayenne, and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Take the tomato sauce off of the heat and puree with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in the mixed seafood, and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in squid, reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer for 30 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 3

While the tomato-seafood sauce is simmering, prepare the polenta by bringing water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium, and slowly whisk in polenta with a wire whisk. Allow to simmer 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Stir in spinach, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to slowly simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning. Once the polenta has softened and turned creamy, remove from heat, season to taste with garlic salt, and keep warm.

Step 4

To prepare the vegetable mix, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in red onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until zucchini begins to brown. Stir in mushrooms, and continue cooking until soft. Season with balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5

To serve, scoop a pile of polenta into the center of each plate; ladle the seafood sauce around, then top with vegetable mixture.