Polenta... cheesecake... pie?

Once I finally finished assembling tonight's dinner, Three-Cheese Polenta Pie, and placed it in the oven, it felt like it took forever to finish cooking. Jeff and I were waiting excitedly by the timer as it slowly crept down because it just looked and smelled so inviting.

Polenta is quickly becoming a staple around here (as you may have noticed lately!) - this recipe transforms it into a delicious crust to hold a cheesy filling. We have usually used a 4:1 ratio of liquid to cornmeal, but this uses less as you want the polenta very firm and moldable. Once prepared, the thick mixture is scooped into a pie plate and spread over the bottom and up the sides - the easiest way to achieve this is by dampening your hands to keep it from sticking. You may want to work it around with a spatula first and let it sit to cool down slightly so it is not so hot. This polenta "shell" is then placed in the oven to crisp up.

The filling is whipped up by combining ricotta cheese with a couple eggs, mozzarella cheese, a touch of flour, parsley and basil. The cheesy mixture is spread into the hot polenta crust, sprinkled with sharp fresh grated Parmesan cheese and placed back in the oven until the center is set. When I initially went through the recipe, I didn't really realize how it was going to end up once finished, but the best way I can think to describe this now is as a dense, moist and certainly savory cheesecake-like dish encased with a thick corn crust. Interesting, unique and kept my taste buds anticipating each bite - while good plain, think about topping it off with your favorite chunky marinara sauce to add one more layer of flavor.

Recipes
Three-Cheese Polenta Pie