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Tasty Tomato and Eggplant Polenta

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This tasty tomato and eggplant polenta recipe will rock your world. It is creamy, beautiful and fun to eat!

Tasty tomato and eggplant polenta all piled up and ready to be eaten

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.

When Christopher hears that I’m going to make polenta, his eyes light up and he says, “I love polenta!”

I know, I think.  You’ve told me.  A million times.

I don’t say that out loud because he has to hear me say repetitive things all the time about food and drink items.  So, I figure it is only fair, right?

Right!

Also, I love to eat polenta with veggies plopped on it.  I like it with gravy too, but I love the cleanness of the veggies in this recipe.

How to make Tomato and Eggplant Polenta

Polenta, beef broth and mozzarella for the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta

So, I start cooking the polenta first because it takes around 25 minutes.  At first, I measure out some beef broth and water, pour them into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Then I pour in some polenta and keep stirring the mixture every few minutes so it doesn’t stick. In any case, I cook the polenta for 25 minutes.

While the polenta is cooking, I gather the eggplant and tomatoes.

Eggplant and tomatoes for the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta

I wash and cut up the eggplant and heat up my wok. Then I add a few tablespoons of olive oil and once that heats up, I add the eggplant and cute heirloom tomatoes.  I also salt the veggies, add some garlic paste and stand there as it cooks, alternatively stirring the polenta and eggplant.

Finally, after 25 minutes, I add 2 ounces of goat cheese and stir it in the polenta until it melts.

Eggplant is done

Sautéed eggplant and tomatoes for the Egg plant and tomatoes for the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta

Time to pour the creamy polenta in a shallow bowl.

Polenta cooked in beef broth for the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta

Mmmm.

I also dollop some tomato and eggplant on the polenta.

Close up of the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta all piled up and ready to be eaten, so good.

This tomato and eggplant polenta looks delicious! But before we dive in, let’s look at an overhead shot.

Over head shot of the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta. Dive right in.

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.

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this tomato and eggplant polenta 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!

5 from 14 votes
Horizontal shot of the tasty tomato and eggplant polenta.
Print
Tasty Tomato and Eggplant Polenta
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
This is a fun comfort food item.  Yummy veggies dolloped on polenta!  What's not to love?
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: tomato and eggplant polenta
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 323 kcal
Author: Elaine Benoit
Ingredients
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup polenta (corn grits)
  • 1/2 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
  1. Pour beef broth and water in a saucepan and heat it on medium
  2. 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
  3. Meanwhile, heat your sauté pan on medium (I used my wok) and add olive oil
  4. Add eggplant, tomatoes, salt and garlic
  5. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring the veggie when you stir the polenta
  6. Set veggies aside and once the polenta is done, stir in the goat cheese until it has melted
  7. Ladle some polenta in a bowl or dish, dollop some veggie on top
  8. Serve
  9. Eat
  10. Smile
  11. Enjoy
Nutrition Facts
Tasty Tomato and Eggplant Polenta
Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)
Calories 323 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 6mg2%
Sodium 1384mg60%
Potassium 754mg22%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 640IU13%
Vitamin C 11.6mg14%
Calcium 60mg6%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. 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.

    Reply

  4. 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 🙂

    Reply

  6. 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!

    Reply

  13. 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 !!!

    Reply

  25. 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!

    Reply

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