Parmesan Polenta Bolognese Recipe

ingredients

Parmesan Polenta

Bolognese Sauce

1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (you can use a variety of button, shiitake, cremini)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 piece of Parmesan rind, 2-3 inches long (the rind is the outside edge on a chunk of fresh Parmesan)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Parmesan Polenta

Coat an 11x7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. The mixture should be thick and smooth.
Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and spoon into prepared baking dish. Set aside.

Bolognese Sauce

For the sauce, in a large skillet, sauté ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook for 5 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Drain in colander and return beef to skillet.
Add milk to skillet and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, until milk is absorbed. Add mushrooms, carrot, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, until the onion is softened.
Add tomato sauce, red wine and Parmesan rind to the meat mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard Parmesan rind.
For serving, slice polenta into 6-8 servings and spoon Bolognese sauce over each portion. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.