Roasted Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Polenta
Cherry tomatoes caramelize in the oven while creamy polenta infused with tangy goat cheese cooks on the stovetop. Wilted spinach sautéed with garlic completes this vegetarian dish. Quick enough for weeknight dinner yet elegant for entertaining.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, or small heirloom or tricolor tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
- 3 cups spinach, fresh
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup corn grits or polentapolenta1:1graincornmeal
identical ingredient
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- 2
Wash tomatoes, place on baking sheet, and pat dry.
- 3
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil.
- 4
Roast for 10 minutes, gently turn tomatoes, and continue roasting until browned, about 30 minutes total. Increase heat to 450 degrees toward the end if desired for additional browning.
- 5
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat.
- 6
Add garlic and saute gently until fragrant, being careful not to brown.
- 7
Add spinach and turn off heat, stirring until wilted and reduced in size.
- 8
Transfer spinach to a bowl and set aside.
- 9
Wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
- 10
In the same pan, bring water to a boil.
- 11
Add polenta and whisk until smooth.
- 12
Simmer for about 15 minutes until polenta has thickened.
- 13
Add goat cheese and salt, stirring until smooth.
- 14
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- 15
Serve polenta immediately topped with roasted tomatoes and wilted spinach.
Tips
Do not allow garlic to brown to avoid bitter taste.
Tricolor or heirloom tomatoes add visual appeal to the dish.
Increasing oven heat to 450 degrees at the end promotes deeper browning on tomatoes.
Good to Know
Covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat polenta gently on stovetop with additional water or broth as needed.
Roast tomatoes and cook spinach mixture up to 1 day ahead. Prepare polenta just before serving for best texture.
Plate polenta as base, top with roasted tomatoes and wilted spinach. Serve immediately.
Common Mistakes
Do not brown garlic to avoid bitter taste.
Do not skip whisking polenta to avoid lumps.
Do not overcook polenta past thickening point to avoid overly thick texture.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
identical ingredient