How to make vegetarian baby portobello and chickpea marsala over creamy polenta

Cooktop Cove: How to make vegetarian baby portobello and chickpea marsala over creamy polenta

By Robin Donovan

Mushrooms and chickpeas cooked in a tangy and garlicky Marsala wine sauce make an elegant, nutritious and vegetarian topping for creamy polenta. The recipe below definitely doesn’t want for flavor. The mushrooms absorb all the flavors of the wine, lemon juice and herbs so well that you won’t even miss the meat.

I love to serve a saucy, rich dish like this over a bowl of creamy polenta, but you could serve it over pasta or even mashed potatoes if you prefer. Something that makes this polenta-cooking method remarkable is that you just mix the ingredients and stick it in the oven to bake while you cook the rest of the meal. It’s enriched with cream and studded with sweet kernels of corn, too, for extra flavor. Don’t skip the Parmesan, as it gives the dish an extra boost of umami.

Vegetarian Baby Portobello & Chickpea Marsala over Creamy Polenta

10 minutes

1 hour

1 hour and 10 minutes

For the polenta

Cooking oil spray

1 cup uncooked polenta

3 cups water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup sweet corn kernels, fresh, from about 1 ear, or frozen

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the marsala

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup marsala, sherry, or white wine

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

To make the polenta, preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking oil spray.

In the baking dish, stir together the polenta, water, corn, salt and pepper, stirring to mix. Bake, uncovered, for 60 minutes.

While the polenta is baking, make the marsala. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.

Add the wine, lemon juice, sage, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and let the sauce simmer until it thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas, and let the mixture cook for about 2 more minutes to heat the chickpeas.

To serve, spoon some of the polenta into a serving bowl. Top with the marsala vegetables and sauce, and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.