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Gnocchi: Polenta Gnocchi with Gorgonzola

Source of Recipe

Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks


List of Ingredients

6 cups water
2 cups cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 pound gorgonzola cheese


Recipe

In large saucepan, slowly pour water into the cornmeal, stirring constantly, until you have a lump-free paste. Stir in the rest of the water and the salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring very frequently, until thick and smooth. Be especially vigilant during the last 10 minutes to prevent scorching. When the polenta is done, a spoon will stand up in the middle and the whole mass will cling together and pull away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the polenta from the heat and slop it down onto a large baking sheet that has been wet down with cold water to prevent sticking. Smooth out the polenta with a large spoon to about 1/2" thick. Let it cool for at least 1/2 hour. It can be left half a day, covered with a cloth. Brush the bottom and sides of a baking dish with some melted butter. Brush the rest of the butter on the top of the polenta. Cut the polenta into 1 1/2" rounds.

Remove all the little four-sided pieces of polenta from between the cut rounds and place them in the baking dish. Then, on top of these, make an overlapping row of rounds and place them in the baking dish. Lean the next overlapping row of rounds on the first row, and so on until the dish is filled. Crumble the gorgonzola over the top. Bake right away at 450ºF for about 20 minutes, or until cheese melts and gnocchi are crusty; serve at once.