Mushroom Ragu with Parmesan Polenta

This dish comes together reasonably quickly, and is full of hearty textures and satisfying flavors. If you're not sure you'll like the al dente mushrooms in this recipes, consider cutting the mushrooms into smaller pieces. The end result is filling and fresh, and good for leftovers, too.

Recipe from Family Style Food.

Ingredients:
Mushroom Ragu
-1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 shallots, thinly sliced
-1 pound portobello mushrooms
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried rosemary
-1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
-5 tablespoons tomato paste
-1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
-1/3 cup vegetable stock
-1 tablespoon butter
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-Salt, to taste

Parmesan Polenta
-3 cups water
-1 cup milk
-1 cup cornmeal
-1 tablespoon butter
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-Salt, to taste

Clean the mushrooms and chop into 1-inch pieces. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add shallots and cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms to the saute pan, with a dash of salt. Stir regularly, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has reduced.

At this time, add the garlic, then the rosemary, red chili flakes, tomato paste, vinegar and butter, mixing to distribute. Incorporate 1/3 cup water, and stir until heated through. Add salt to taste.

While the mushrooms cook, start 3 cups water and 1 cup milk in a saucepan on the stove over high heat until it just starts to boil, being careful that it not boil over. Add the cornmeal to the boiling liquid and whisk frequently, lowering the heat to medium or lower. When the cornmeal thickens, add the butter, Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Serve cornmeal polenta topped with mushroom ragu, a sprinkling of rosemary or thyme, and some grated Parmesan cheese.