Instant Pot Creamy Parmesan Polenta with Eggplant, Sausage, and Tomatoes
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 20, 2022
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal 5 cups water, divided¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper, divided2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed½ eggplant (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch pieces1 small onion, chopped fine4 garlic cloves, minced¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for serving
Before You Begin
Coarse-ground degerminated cornmeal such as yellow grits (with uniform grains the size of couscous) works best. Avoid instant or quick-cooking products, as well as whole-grain, stone-ground, or regular cornmeal. You will need a 1½-quart round soufflé dish or a ceramic dish of similar size for this recipe.
Instructions
- Arrange trivet included with Instant Pot in base of insert, and add 1 cup water. Fold sheet of aluminum foil into 16 by 6-inch sling, then rest 1½-quart round soufflé dish in center of sling. Whisk 4 cups water, cornmeal, salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in soufflé dish. Using sling, carefully lower soufflé dish into pot and onto trivet; allow narrow edges of sling to rest along sides of insert.
- Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 40 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
- Using sling, carefully transfer soufflé dish to wire rack; remove trivet and discard remaining water in pot. Whisk Parmesan into polenta, smoothing out any lumps, and let sit until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, using highest sauté function, heat oil in now-empty Instant Pot until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in eggplant, onion, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until tomatoes are softened and begin to release their juices, about 2 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide polenta among individual serving plates, top with eggplant mixture, and sprinkle with extra Parmesan and basil. Serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal
5 cups water, divided
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
½ eggplant (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for serving
Ingredients
1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal
5 cups water, divided
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
½ eggplant (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for serving
Ingredients
1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal
5 cups water, divided
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
½ eggplant (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for serving
Why This Recipe Works
With a foil sling, we lowered a dish of polenta into the pot so that the steam and high pressure could render the cornmeal tender and its starches luxuriously creamy. While the polenta rested, we used the sauté function to make a topping of Italian sausage as the base, fiber-full eggplant as the body, and juicy cherry tomatoes and aromatic basil as the finish.
Before You Begin
Coarse-ground degerminated cornmeal such as yellow grits (with uniform grains the size of couscous) works best. Avoid instant or quick-cooking products, as well as whole-grain, stone-ground, or regular cornmeal. You will need a 1½-quart round soufflé dish or a ceramic dish of similar size for this recipe.
Instructions
- Arrange trivet included with Instant Pot in base of insert, and add 1 cup water. Fold sheet of aluminum foil into 16 by 6-inch sling, then rest 1½-quart round soufflé dish in center of sling. Whisk 4 cups water, cornmeal, salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in soufflé dish. Using sling, carefully lower soufflé dish into pot and onto trivet; allow narrow edges of sling to rest along sides of insert.
- Lock lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 40 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
- Using sling, carefully transfer soufflé dish to wire rack; remove trivet and discard remaining water in pot. Whisk Parmesan into polenta, smoothing out any lumps, and let sit until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, using highest sauté function, heat oil in now-empty Instant Pot until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in eggplant, onion, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until tomatoes are softened and begin to release their juices, about 2 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide polenta among individual serving plates, top with eggplant mixture, and sprinkle with extra Parmesan and basil. Serve.
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