Spicy Polenta Puttanesca

Creamy vegan polenta topped with a spicy homemade puttanesca sauce, featuring tomatoes, capers, pepper, and olives.

Course Italian, Main Course

Cuisine gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword Polenta Puttanesca

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 322kcal

Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For the polenta:

1 and 1/2 cups water
1 and 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup corn grits
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar (substitute white vinegar or cider vinegar)
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

For the puttanesca sauce:

2 tsp olive oil
1/4 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small banana pepper halved, seeded, and thinly sliced (see notes)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz or use 1 and 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes)
2 tbsp capers
16-20 medium pitted black olives sliced
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for serving
toasted pine nuts for serving

Instructions

For the polenta:

Bring the water and almond milk to a boil. Add the corn grits, salt, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and dried herbs, and stir.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 more minutes. You'll know the polenta is done when you start to see giant bubbles forming and the cornmeal is soft and fluffy.
Set aside for a few minutes before eating.

For the puttanesca sauce:

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a splash of water or vegetable broth along with the onion, garlic, and banana pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding more water or broth as needed, until the vegetables are softened.
Add the tomatoes, capers, and black olives, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add seasonings to taste (be mindful, as the capers/olives/canned tomatoes may be salty already), and serve over a scoop of polenta with chopped parsley and pine nuts.

Notes

SPICINESS: I've found that banana peppers can vary significantly in spiciness, at least around here. If you're sensitive to heat then start with 1/2 of a pepper, and skip the additional red pepper flakes.

CORN GRITS: You can use uncooked polenta instead of corn grits; more water and cooking time may be required. Adjust according to your package directions.

Nutrition