Cooking for One - The Hungry Bride

by Sarah Christine, Posted Mar 19th 2009 @ 4:30PM

Ready-made plain polenta (in that plastic roll), fresh basil, tomato and cheese was a luxurious meal that I happily enjoyed all by myself.

As I've mentioned before on this blog, my fiancee has been sick for some time. This winter hit us hard, and he was sicker than ever last week. I found myself stocking up on Jell-O, pudding, soup, saltines, ginger ale and applesauce.

After he was tucked into bed and happily fed, I sat down on the couch and wondered what I was going to eat. I spent so much time making sure our cabinets were stocked with things he could keep down, I completely forgot to take care of myself.

AOL Food has an ongoing gallery of "Ten-Minute Mains" from Gourmet Magazine. I remembered seeing a fast and hearty recipe that I knew I had the ingredients for. Polenta pie with cheese and tomato sauce was a luxurious meal that I happily threw together in no-time flat. Ready-made plain polenta (in a plastic roll) proved to be a friend. After the aromas of fresh basil, tomato and cheese took over my apartment, I cuddled into the corner of my couch with a BIG bowl of this pie and found myself thinking, "What a treat."

Whether your significant other is not feeling well, or he or she is out for the night, it's important to find recipes that are quick enough to cook up for yourself. Cooking for one is not something to be ashamed of and it should not be a daunting task. Take the time on the weekend and flip through cookbooks and Web sites to find easy meals that are quick to prepare on the weeknights and reheat well for leftovers.

Recipe for polenta pie after the jump.

Polenta Pie with Cheese and Tomato Sauce
Serves 4-6 (Perfect for leftovers)
Active time: 10 minutes Start to finish: 30 minutes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 (16- to 18-ounce) ready-made plain polenta roll (plastic-wrapped)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 (25- to 26-ounce) jar chunky tomato sauce
1/4 pound mozzarella, coarsely shredded (1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch pie plate or a 4-cup gratin dish with 1 teaspoon oil.

Cut polenta roll crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and line pie plate with half of slices, overlapping slices slightly to completely cover bottom of pie plate. Stir 1 tablespoon basil into 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce and spread over polenta, then sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Top with remaining half of polenta slices, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining half of mozzarella.

Bake until bubbling and golden, about 20 minutes. While pie bakes, heat remaining pasta sauce, basil, and oil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Let pie stand 5 minutes to firm up and cool, then serve extra sauce on the side.

Recipe from Gourmet.com, June 2006
Recipe by Ruth Cousineau

Filed Under: The Hungry Bride
Tags: AOL Food, AolFood, gourmet magazine, GourmetMagazine, polenta pie, PolentaPie, the hungry bride, TheHungryBride