Polenta with Radicchio Ragu

Tonight I made a delicious and traditional Italian comfort food. Polenta is sort of like Italian grits, which is why its a dish that goes over well in our house...Italian food with a southern feel! Its great for a day like today where we got over 6" of snow! Cold day calls for warm, hearty comfort food and that's exactly what this is.

Radicchio Rago

3 Tbls EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound 96% lean ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Tbls dry oregano
1/2 head of radicchio
Salt and pepper

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until onions start to become translucent. Add garlic and stir. Add ground beef and brown until cooked through. (If you use ground beef with more fat, you'll have to drain it off after its browned.) Add tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Add diced tomatoes, red wine and oregano. Cut radicchio in thirds and then slice so you end up with thin strips. Add to the pot and stir. Continue to simmer over medium until tomatoes and radicchio are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. While rago is simmering, cook polenta.

Polenta

4 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
3 Tbls butter
1 cup fresh grated parmiggiano reggiano, plus extra
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat water to boiling. Slowly add cornmeal to boiling water while whisking continuously. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring while polenta begins to thicken. It is important to stir continuously so that you don't get lumps. It only takes a few minutes for the cornmeal to thicken. Once it is thick and the cornmeal is tender, add butter and stir until melted. Add cheese and milk and stir until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When polenta is desired consistency and texture, spoon into individual serving bowls. Ladle ragu on top of polenta and top with additional grated parmiggiano.

(*If you have extra polenta, pour onto a baking sheet, plate or piece of parchment paper. Spread it out evenly about 1 inch thick and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cooled polenta can be sliced and served as a sort of bread alongside others meal. Saute in olive oil until slightly browned to add flavor and make it crispy. Polenta is very versatile and can be topped with any kind of sauce you like or served as is as a side dish. Be creative!)

GFCF
The recipe is gluten-free as is. If you want casein/dairy free, substitute olive oil for butter, leave out parmiggiano and substitute unsweetened coconut or soy milk. I used coconut milk and it was delicious.