This tasty tomato and eggplant polenta recipe will rock your world. It is creamy, beautiful and fun to eat!
I love polenta, but apparently not as much as Christopher does because his family used to have it every Christmas Eve. They had a wooden board his grandfather made that was the size of a small table.
When a humongous batch of polenta was cooked, his mom and grandmother poured it onto the board, spreading it with a three-foot rolling pin to the edges. Then they’d cover that creamy polenta with tomato sauce and put a big pile of meatballs and sausages in the middle.
Then everyone gathered around the dining room table, the polenta board in the center, with forks in hand. The kids weren’t allowed to take a piece of meat until they’d cleared a path through the polenta that started at the edge of the board in front of them and went to the pile in the middle.
Now, that’s a party! In fact, just recently, I saw a photo of the huge board. Holy moly! How the heck did they pick it up to plop it on the table?
As far as I can remember, we never ate polenta like that.
I love to eat polenta with veggies on it. I like it with gravy too, but I love the cleanness of the veggies in this recipe.
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Helpful tips
- Start the polenta first as it takes 25 minutes.
- Wash the vegetables before you cut or cook them. I use a natural unscented hand soap I get at Whole Foods. I love this soap, as it’s a foaming soap.
- I use heirloom cherry and grape tomatoes but you can just use normal tomatoes and not heirloom.
How to make tomato and eggplant polenta
Pre-step
Get a saucepan to cook the polenta.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – polenta, goat cheese and beef broth.
Step two
Add beef broth and water into the saucepan and heat on medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, add polenta and stir the mixture every few minutes so it doesn’t stick.
Step three
While the polenta is cooking, gather the eggplant and tomatoes.
Step four
Wash and cut up the eggplant into cubes as you heat up your wok or sauté pan. Also wash the tomatoes.
Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and once that heats up, add the eggplant and tomatoes.
Step five
Add garlic paste and salt and stand there as it cooks, alternatively stirring the polenta and eggplant.
Step six
If the vegetables are done before the polenta, just set it aside.
Step seven
When the polenta is done, add 2 ounces of goat cheese and stir it in until it melts.
Step eight
Spoon the creamy polenta in a shallow bowl.
Step nine
Dollop as much as the tomato and eggplant on the polenta.
This looks delicious! But before we dive in, let’s look at an overhead shot.
So I hope you enjoyed this tomato and eggplant polenta recipe. It is super delicious.
Please feel free to leave me a comment. In fact, did you ever eat polenta the way Christopher’s family did? I’d love to know your polenta memories! I read every single comment.
If you love polenta, you’ll love this mussel polenta recipe. You’ll love it even more when you see it has wine in it.
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Tasty Tomato and Eggplant Polenta
Ingredients
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup polenta (corn grits)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium eggplants ends cut off but cut in chunks
- 6 ounces tomatoes I used small heirlooms
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste or 2 garlic cloves, crushed
Instructions
Make it don’t break it
- Pour beef broth and water in a saucepan and heat it on medium
- Once it comes to a boil, pour polenta in and stir it until incorporate it. Continue to stir it every 5 minutes until it’s done at 25 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat your sauté pan on medium (I used my wok) and add olive oil
- Add eggplant, tomatoes, salt and garlic
- Cook for 15 minutes, stirring the veggie when you stir the polenta
- Set veggies aside and once the polenta is done, stir in the goat cheese until it has melted
- Ladle some polenta in a bowl or dish, dollop some veggie on top
- Serve
- Eat
- Smile
- Enjoy
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Brandi Crawford
I haven’t seen this combination. It looks so good! I need to try this.
Elaine
Thank you Brandi! I appreciate it!
serena
I love polenta. This is a great use of the veggies with it. Have to give this a try!
Elaine
Thank you Serena!!
Ginny
Believe it or not I fell in love with polenta as a child. Of course it was fried in discs and had maple syrup on it but it was a start. Your recipe is wonderful with eggplant and tomatoes. I’ll absolutely be making it very soon.
Elaine
Thanks so much Ginny!! I had it like that too when I was a kid. Mmmmm.
Jeni @ Biscuits & Booze
I never had it like that growing up but I love polenta now. I grew up eating grits in every imaginable way, though, and they are basically the same thing. The only difference is the grind! I make a similar version to this with veg but I add goat cheese in, because I AM A GOAT CHEESE FANATIC! And I have some eggplant just waiting to be used in my fridge right now 🙂
Elaine
Woohoo Jeni! Hope you like it!
Dannii
Polenta is a recent discovery in our house, so I would love to try new ways of eating it. This looks delicious.
Elaine
Thanks so much Dannii!
Patty
Oh my!!! Polenta is in my gene as much as it is in Chris’. Mom made it almost the same way as Chris’, just she never served it on a huge board 🙂 I love polenta any way but never made it like yours, it looks so good, I must absolutely try it! YUM!
Elaine
Thanks so much Patty. Can’t wait to tell Christopher that you had it like he did!!
Sarah
I love polenta, and I always buy Bob’s Red Mill!!! It’s the best!
Elaine
I so agree Sarah! I love polenta too! Thanks for your comment!
Analida Braeger
There is nothing quite like a nice creamy rich bowl of polenta! It’s a blank canvas for adding yummy ingredients to! Thanks for sharing!
Gabby | The Tolerant Table
This just hit the top of the must make pile, Elaine! OMG yum! I absolutely adore polenta but don’t make it nearly enough. LOVE the story about Christopher’s family too. What a way to enjoy such a gorgeous meal ????
Syama
Polenta and egg plant – love both, but I have never thought of combining these two . Looks delicious . Can’t wait to try !
Elaine
Thank you Syama!!
Jessica @Small Bites by Jessica
Sounds delish! That polenta looks so creamy and delicious!
Elaine
Thanks so much Jessica!
Cheryl
While I’m a total meat eater, I love meatless meal options and this looks delicious.
Elaine
Thanks Cheryl!
Laura
I love polenta and I wish I could eat it the way Christopher use to eat it. Though you might want to let him know that as an Italian he has been living in sin: we never eat meat at Christmas eve. Your eggplant version will do and I am ready to dig in !!!
Elaine
Laura! Haha. We know about the fish on Christmas Eve but they are rebels!
Alicia Taylor
I wish my husband liked eggplant more. This looks divine! I love Bob’s Red Mill, too.
Elaine
Thank you Alicia!
Leslie
It took me a long time to come around on polenta, but now that I have I can’t get enough. I’ll have to try this!
Elaine
Leslie! I think it’s because we think of corn muffins and sweet. Polenta isn’t sweet. I get it why it took you a while!
Monica | Nourish & Fete
I don’t know why I don’t make polenta more frequently – I have a bag of it in the pantry! This recipe looks super appealing, pinning to help me break out of my rut!
Elaine
Thanks so much Monica!!
Christine
I love polenta and definitely don’t make it enough. This dish looks amazing! Love that you used eggplant – It pairs perfectly with the polenta!
Elaine
Thanks so much Christine!
Chris
Sigh. I’m remembering how much I enjoyed eating this meal!!
Elaine
Hehe Chris. Soon, sir, very, very soon.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
This looks like a great side dish or would even be perfect as a light weeknight meal!!
Elaine
Yes, indeed Kathryn!
Carrie @ Carrie’s Home Cooking
Your polenta sounds wonderful! I am a new polenta eater but your recipe is on my list of must-try. Pinned!
Elaine
Thank you Carrie! It’s rather tasty, hope you enjoy it!
Abby @ WinsteadWandering
This recipe is A. Making me crave polenta and B. Getting me thinking about fun holiday dinner traditions!
Elaine
What fun Abby to have this at the holidays.
Eileen Kelly
To me, this is just one huge bowl of comfort! I love the flavors and perfect for a family meal
Elaine
Thanks so much Eileen!
ÇitraKale
We enjoy polenta..but never try with eggplant.. İ should try this combination soon.
Elaine
Thanks Çitra!
Lynette
Polenta with tomatoes – the perfect combo!
Elaine
Thanks so much Lynette!! It really is!
Renee Gardner
I am so glad to come across this recipe! I just picked up some of Bob’s polenta a couple of weeks ago to make a cheesy shrimp and grits. It was so good and the texture was amazing! I used to use just corn meal, until I learned that Bob’s made actual polenta. Can’t wait to try out this flavor combination for something completely different!
Elaine
Thanks so much Renee! I hope you enjoy it. It’s so delicious!