Vegetarian mains
Baked Polenta Courgettes & Mushroom Ragù
We hope to show you here how versatile courgettes can be. Coated in a crispy polenta crumb, they become the star of the show. The mushrooms and lentils are a delicious accompaniment; useful for plant-based protein.
Cook's notes
For ease, when coating the courgette pieces, keep one hand for dipping them in the chickpea flour mix and one hand for coating them in the dry polenta.
Ingredients
for the courgettes:
- 2 courgettes quartered lengthways.
- 20g chickpea flour
- 75g quick cook polenta
- 1 tbsp freshly picked thyme leaves
- zest from ½ a lemon
for the ragù:
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 200g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tin cooked puy/dark lentils, drained
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 100ml red wine
- 1 tbsp soy/tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- ½ tin chopped tomatoes
- 20g toasted pine nuts – to garnish
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Put your oven on to 200˚C/Gas 6. Line a large roasting tin with parchment.
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Step 2
Put the chickpea flour in a shallow dish. Add just enough water (approx. 2 tbsp) to make a sticky paste.
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Step 3
Put the polenta, thyme and lemon zest in another dish. Season well with salt and pepper and mix.
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Step 4
Piece by piece, put the courgettes first in the chickpea flour mixture, then the polenta, to roughly coat. They don’t have to be completely covered but try and get a good covering on the cut sides of the courgettes at least.
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Step 5
Place the courgette pieces cut-side up in the roasting tin. Bake for approx. 30 minutes, until the courgettes are just softened all the way through and the polenta golden. Keep a good eye as the timing will depend on the exact size of the courgettes and your own oven.
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Step 6
To make the ragù heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Fry the onion, carrot and celery on a low heat for approx. 10 minutes, until they’re starting to soften.
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Step 7
Add the mushrooms, season, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for approx. 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms have softened.
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Step 8
Stir the garlic, oregano, and wine into the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the wine has reduced by half.
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Step 9
Add the soy sauce, tomato purée, lentils, and tomatoes to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently and add a splash of water if it starts getting too thick.
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Step 10
Check the seasoning of the ragù and serve in bowls, topped with the courgettes and pine nuts.