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- Makes 6 cups
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Calabrian chiles, named after their native growing region in southwestern Italy, are medium-hot and contain a sweet, subtly smoky flavor that makes them ideal for adding complex flavor to simple dishes. Here, they’re blended into a luscious sauce along with garlic, lemon zest, and red wine vinegar. Sautéed zucchini and butter beans are folded into the mix, and then everything is scooped onto triangles of baked polenta and topped with fresh herbs. You can make the bean mixture saucier by adding a little of the chile soaking liquid, and be sure to squeeze on lots of lemon juice when you eat to get a hit of bright citrus!
Tip: You can find dried Calabrian chiles online.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
By Ellen Boeke,
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
- 1 cup dry polenta (coarse cornmeal)
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 small to medium dried Calabrian chiles (see tip in intro)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 1 sweet onion, cut into thin wedges (2 cups)
- 1 medium zucchini (8 oz.), quartered lengthwise and sliced (2 cups)
- 2 15.5-oz. cans no-salt-added butter beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Line a 3-quart baking dish with parchment paper. In a large saucepan bring milk and 2 cups water to boiling. Gradually add polenta while whisking to ensure no lumps form. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until soft and creamy, stirring frequently. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to the prepared dish; let cool. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. For chile sauce, place chiles in a bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand 10 minutes; drain, reserving soaking liquid. Place chiles and the next four ingredients (through oregano) in a small food processor. Process until finely chopped and combined, adding reserved soaking liquid if you want a looser sauce. Season with salt.
- In an extra-large nonstick skillet cook onion and zucchini over medium-high 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Stir in beans and chile sauce; heat through.
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut polenta into triangles and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve bean mixture over polenta. Top with basil and serve with lemon wedges.
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