Created By Chef Max Shapiro
I pulled this recipe out of an old file of my recipes from the time I was at Luigi’s Restaurant in Madison. It’s a very flavorful and bright vegetarian main dish–always got rave reviews. Recipe contains dairy.
Ingredients:
Polenta and onions:
- 4 cups fat-free milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ cups instant polenta
- 3/4 cup shaved Asiago cheese
- ½ cup basil, julienned
- 2 onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
Swiss Chard and White Beans:
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 bunches Swiss Chard, trimmed and cut across leaves and 2 inches of stem into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cans (15oz each) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup shaved Asiago cheese
Steps:
Polenta and onion:
- Lightly coat a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, combine milk, 1 cup water, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium – high heat. Gradually whisk in polenta.
- Cook, whisking continuously, for about 2 minutes, until thick. Add a little hot water if mixture gets to thick. Stir in Asiago cheese and fresh basil. Spread polenta in prepared dish and allow to set at room temp.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium – high heat. Add onions and cook 8 minutes stirring occasionally , until golden brown. Remove to a plate and wipe skillet out.
Swiss Chard and Beans:
- Heat olive oil in same skillet over medium heat.
- Add chard (in batches) and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Stir in beans and heat through.
Assemble casserole:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon chard and bean mixture evenly over polenta.
- Sprinkle ½ cup of asiago cheese over chard and beans. Scatter onions and remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
- Allow to cool slightly before slicing. May also be served at room temp.
