Baked Pumpkin Polenta

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 tos 10 sage leaves
• 1 , 15 ounce
• 5.5 cups water
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper , optional
• 0.25 cups milk
• 1.5 cups Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino cheese
• 0.67 cups Monterey Jack

Instructions

1. 1

   Add olive oil to a saucepan set over medium-high heat; add butter, and heat until melted. Toss in sage leaves and fry until they are dark green and have stopped bubbling, 20 to 30 seconds. Turn off the heat; remove sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Fried sage leaves can be stored in the refrigerator and used to garnish the tops later.

2. 2

   Add pumpkin to the pan, pour in water, and turn heat to high. Whisk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   With mixture boiling, slowly sprinkle in cornmeal, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cornmeal is creamy, soft, and no longer gritty, about 25 minutes.

4. 4

   Turn off heat; add cayenne, milk, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Whisk thoroughly until evenly combined.

5. 5

   Generously grease a 9x9-inch cake pan with olive oil; spread polenta evenly into the pan. Let cool to room temperature. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Invert cold, firm polenta onto a cutting board and cut into 8 equal portions.

7. 7

   Transfer to a lined baking sheet, and top each piece with grated Monterey Jack cheese. Sprinkle tops with paprika or cayenne, if desired.

8. 8

   Bake in the preheated oven until polenta is heated through, and the edges are turning golden-brown, about 30 minutes. Garnish tops with fried sage and serve.