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"Not-sagna" recipe
Not-sagna
This is a dish that I invented out of sheer boredom about two weeks ago. It's a layered dish made in a loaf pan with layers of rice, tomato sauce, black beans, polenta, and cheese. Originally I used lentils, but tried it the second time with black beans to give it a more Mexican feel. I prefer it with black beans, but they were both good! You can easily substitute cooked lentils and some coriander and cumin for the black beans and cayenne pepper for a different flavor!
Its name comes from a friend of mine. I was telling her about how it's a layered dish with tomato sauce, but with polenta instead of noodles. She said, "So it's like lasagna. But not. It's not-sagna!" And the name stuck.
(P.S. I'm sure you can omit the cheese to make this vegan.)
2-3 cups cooked rice (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 recipe polenta (see below)
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp each of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika (depending on taste)
1 tsp honey
1 16-oz can of black beans
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Loaf pan
Pam, shortening, or butter to grease pan
Polenta
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens' Biggest Book of Italian Recipes)
1-3/8 cups water
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp salt
For rice: The trickiest part of this dish is the timing. You'll essentially be making three things at once and then combining them. If timing can be challenge for you, you can cook the rice up to two days ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready for it (but microwave it a bit to take the chill out of it right before you use it). If you making everything at once, start preparing the rice according to package directions first, since it will take the longest.
While the rice is cooking, begin the polenta and tomato sauce.
For polenta: Bring the 1-3/8 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. (3/8 is halfway between 1/2 and 3/4, if that will help you measure. Most liquid measuring cups don't have a line for 3/8.) Meanwhile, combine the corn meal, cold water, and salt in a small bowl and stir briefly. When the water in the saucepan boils, slowly stir in the corn meal mixture. Return to a boil, them reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently. (I prefer to use a slotted spoon, but a spatula or wooden spoon will work, too.)
For tomato sauce: Combine tomato sauce, spices, and honey in a large skillet. Simmer 7-10 minutes until heated through. (Tomato sauce tends to splatter, so use a lid or a splatter screen unless you want red dots all over your stovetop and clothing.)
For beans: Drain and rinse black beans. Microwave for about 30-40 seconds, so they're about the same temperature as everything else going into the oven.
Assembly: When everything is heated through and ready to go, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard loaf pan or an 8-in x 8-in pan. Measure out the parmesan cheese.
Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with 1/2 of the rice. If you use sticky rice, like I did, it will be hard to spread, so you may have to just mix it with the tomato to get it spread out enough. It shouldn't affect the outcome of your not-sagna. Sprinkle with about 1/5 of the cheese. Spread 1/2 of the polenta over that, then top with 1/2 of the beans. Sprinkle another 1/5 of the cheese on top of the beans. Repeat layers once more. Top everything with the remaining sauce and cheese.
To sum up, your layers should be in this order:
(top)
Cheese
Sauce
Cheese
Beans
Polenta
Cheese
Rice
Sauce
Cheese
Beans
Polenta
Cheese
Rice
Sauce
(bottom)
Cover pan with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10-15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes, cut into pieces, and serve.
PICTURES!
Dueling tomato sauce and polenta. The rice was in a rice cooker off-camera.
Rinsing the beans.
The layers before cooking. In hind sight, that topmost layer of polenta was WAY too thick. It didn't set properly when it cooking, so it was a little mushy. The thickness of the bottom layer was more ideal.
From the top before cooking.
The finished product.
After I ate two pieces. It's a little bit runny because, as I mentioned earlier, my top layer of polenta was a bit thick and didn't set properly. But it was still delicious!
I hope that all makes sense to everyone. Feel free to ask any questions, and let me know if you try it out!
Enjoy!
Also posted to cooking.
This is a dish that I invented out of sheer boredom about two weeks ago. It's a layered dish made in a loaf pan with layers of rice, tomato sauce, black beans, polenta, and cheese. Originally I used lentils, but tried it the second time with black beans to give it a more Mexican feel. I prefer it with black beans, but they were both good! You can easily substitute cooked lentils and some coriander and cumin for the black beans and cayenne pepper for a different flavor!
Its name comes from a friend of mine. I was telling her about how it's a layered dish with tomato sauce, but with polenta instead of noodles. She said, "So it's like lasagna. But not. It's not-sagna!" And the name stuck.
(P.S. I'm sure you can omit the cheese to make this vegan.)
2-3 cups cooked rice (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 recipe polenta (see below)
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp each of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika (depending on taste)
1 tsp honey
1 16-oz can of black beans
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Loaf pan
Pam, shortening, or butter to grease pan
Polenta
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens' Biggest Book of Italian Recipes)
1-3/8 cups water
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp salt
For rice: The trickiest part of this dish is the timing. You'll essentially be making three things at once and then combining them. If timing can be challenge for you, you can cook the rice up to two days ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready for it (but microwave it a bit to take the chill out of it right before you use it). If you making everything at once, start preparing the rice according to package directions first, since it will take the longest.
While the rice is cooking, begin the polenta and tomato sauce.
For polenta: Bring the 1-3/8 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. (3/8 is halfway between 1/2 and 3/4, if that will help you measure. Most liquid measuring cups don't have a line for 3/8.) Meanwhile, combine the corn meal, cold water, and salt in a small bowl and stir briefly. When the water in the saucepan boils, slowly stir in the corn meal mixture. Return to a boil, them reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently. (I prefer to use a slotted spoon, but a spatula or wooden spoon will work, too.)
For tomato sauce: Combine tomato sauce, spices, and honey in a large skillet. Simmer 7-10 minutes until heated through. (Tomato sauce tends to splatter, so use a lid or a splatter screen unless you want red dots all over your stovetop and clothing.)
For beans: Drain and rinse black beans. Microwave for about 30-40 seconds, so they're about the same temperature as everything else going into the oven.
Assembly: When everything is heated through and ready to go, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard loaf pan or an 8-in x 8-in pan. Measure out the parmesan cheese.
Spread 1/3 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with 1/2 of the rice. If you use sticky rice, like I did, it will be hard to spread, so you may have to just mix it with the tomato to get it spread out enough. It shouldn't affect the outcome of your not-sagna. Sprinkle with about 1/5 of the cheese. Spread 1/2 of the polenta over that, then top with 1/2 of the beans. Sprinkle another 1/5 of the cheese on top of the beans. Repeat layers once more. Top everything with the remaining sauce and cheese.
To sum up, your layers should be in this order:
(top)
Cheese
Sauce
Cheese
Beans
Polenta
Cheese
Rice
Sauce
Cheese
Beans
Polenta
Cheese
Rice
Sauce
(bottom)
Cover pan with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10-15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes, cut into pieces, and serve.
PICTURES!
Dueling tomato sauce and polenta. The rice was in a rice cooker off-camera.
Rinsing the beans.
The layers before cooking. In hind sight, that topmost layer of polenta was WAY too thick. It didn't set properly when it cooking, so it was a little mushy. The thickness of the bottom layer was more ideal.
From the top before cooking.
The finished product.
After I ate two pieces. It's a little bit runny because, as I mentioned earlier, my top layer of polenta was a bit thick and didn't set properly. But it was still delicious!
I hope that all makes sense to everyone. Feel free to ask any questions, and let me know if you try it out!
Enjoy!
Also posted to cooking.