Polenta Pasticciata - Polenta Lasagne

Polenta pasticciata is what Northern Italian cooks reach for when they want lasagne energy without the pasta. Cooked polenta gets spread thin on an oiled work surface, cooled until it firms up like a sliceable slab, then cut into three-inch squares that stand in for noodles. Stack them with sauce and cheese, bake hot, and you get a golden-topped casserole with creamy cornmeal pillows underneath.

The ragù is the heart of it. Dried porcini get soaked and chopped, and their reserved soaking liquid goes into the pot for an earthy, almost meaty backbone. Onion, carrot, celery, and parsley sweat down in olive oil and butter, ground beef browns, then everything simmers with tomato paste, dry red wine, and drained Italian plum tomatoes until the sauce tightens. Sharp grated pecorino handles the salt and the savory pull on top.

Kitchen Tips

• Make the polenta a day ahead so the squares cut clean. Warm polenta will tear and slump.
• Strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a coffee filter or fine sieve to catch any grit before it lands in your sauce.
• Use a 13×9 pan and don’t overload the layers. Two thin sauce layers bake evenly. One thick one stays soupy in the middle.
• Let the bake rest the full ten minutes before cutting. The squares set up firmer as they cool.

Variations

• Swap the ground beef for half beef and half Italian sausage for more spice and fat.
• Stir a handful of fresh mozzarella between the layers along with the pecorino for melty pockets.
• Make it vegetarian by skipping the meat and doubling the mushrooms with a mix of cremini and porcini.