Title: Polenta with roasted vegetable ragu
 Categories: Trattoria, Stew
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
 
  :          **ROASTED VEGETABLE RAGU
        1 sm butternut squash -- halve
  :          and core
        1 sm turnip, parsnip or rutabaga
  :          peel and quarter
        1 sm zucchini -- quarter
        1 sm eggplant -- peel and
  :          quarter
  :          lengthwise
        1 sm green bell pepper -- halve
  :          and core
        4    ripe tomatoes -- (about 1
  :          lb)
        1    leek -- halve lengthwise
  :          wash carefully
        3 oz fresh mushrooms -- white
        2 TB olive oil
        1 c  vegetable broth
        2 TB dry white wine
  :          Salt and pepper
  :          **POLENTA
        4 c  water
        2 TB unsalted butter
        1 c  coarse polenta --
  :          quick-cooking or
  :          regular
        3 TB fresh herbs -- as suggested
      3/4 c  grated Parmesan cheese
  :          Salt and ground white
  :          pepper
  :          **HERBS:
  :          oregano
  :          thyme -- and/or
  :          marjoram -- or
  
  To roast the vegetables for the ragu, preheat an oven to 450F (230C).
  Put the butternut squash in a baking pan and place in the center of
  the oven. Bake, uncovered, until soft butnot mushy when pierced, about
        1    hour.
  
  About 40 minutes before that squash is ready, place all the other
  vegetables in a large baking pan keeping each vegetable separate, and
  cover with aluminum foil. Place the second baking pan in the oven and
  bake for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until tender
  when pierced with a fork, 20-25 minutes longer. Remove all the
  vegetables from the oven and let cool.
  
  Peel the butternut squash. Cut the squash; turnip, parsnip or
  rutabaga; zucchini; eggplant; bell pepper; and tomatoes into 1 inch
  dice. Thinly slice the leek crosswise, and quarter the mushrooms.
  Keep the vegetables separate.
  
  To make the ragu, in a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
  Add the turnip, parsnip or rutabaga and leek and saute for 1 minute.
  Raise the heat to high and add the zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper
  and mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add the squash and saute for 1
  minute. Add the tomatoes and saute for 1 minute longer.
  
  Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and
  simmer until the flavors are blended, 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and
  simmer for 1 minute longer. Season to taste with salt and black
  pepper. Keep warm.
  
  To make the polenta, in a deep saucepan over high heat, bring that
  water and butter to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta while stirring
  continuously with a whisk. Allow the mixture to bubble, whisking
  constantly, Cook 1-2 minutes as it thickens. Reduce the heat to low
  and continue to simmer, whisking constantly to prevent burning and
  lumps from forming, until the polenta grains swell and are tender
  like porridge, about 5 minutes for quick-cooking polenta and 20
  minutes for regular polenta or according to package directions.
  Duringthe last few minutes of cooking, stir in the herbs and cheese
  and season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  
  To serve:  Ladle the polenta onto warmed individual plates. Make a
  well in the center of each serving, ladle the ragu over the top.
  Serves 4 to 6.
  
  Mary Beth Clark (1995). Trattoria:  Best of Casual Italian Cooking.
  Sunset Books, CA.  Part of a series: Casual Cuisines of the World.
  [Mastercook 16 Oc 96: Submitted by PATh: 500 cals/20 g fat]