Vegetarian Polenta Lasagna Stacks

I think I might stack all of the food from now on.

That way I can say total douche-bucket things like, “Girl you are staaacked!,” when no one is around. Or when everyone is around. Ugh.

Stacking is good for you though! It’s healthy stuff. It exercises your balance, your steady hand, your precision, your cursing will power (hi, zero) as the ricotta starts to warm and get soggy seconds before grabbing your camera.

We need to stack the food. It helps keep our thriving ecosystem in check.

This is so not convincing, is it?

Guess what!

You have GAWT to add this to your weeknight rotation. It’s a two-pot ordeal, and the sauce simmers while you pan-sear the stackies.

Is it worse that I just called them stackies?

I hope so.

Of course you could beef these up with more or different veggies, but not beef. I mean, if you wanted them vegetarian. But you could beef them up with beef if you wanted, I guess. Just don’t call them vegetarian if you do, though. Because beef is a meat.

Hello?

And the sauce, you can tooootally fiddle with. Aaron wanted a vodka cream sauce, but all I had was milk so it wasn’t AS creamy as it could have been. But I’m still a good person. Besides the whole stackies things.

I ate both of these and I couldn’t be more giddy.

Girl you are staaaaacke – okay fine.

Vegetarian Polenta Lasagna Stacks:

What it took for 2:

* 2 cups tomatoes, chopped (whatever kind you have on hand)
* 2 Tbs. vodka
* 1/3 cup heavy cream (or milk)
* 2 tsp extra-virgin oil
* 1 tube polenta, cut into 1/2 inch slices
* 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
* 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
* arugula, for garnish
* parmesan cheese, for garnish
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Add the vodka and cream and keep on a low simmer while you prepare the rest. It should thicken over the next 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan, bring the oil to a medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and let sit on one side for 3 minutes. Season with a little salt, flip and sear another 3 minutes, until browned and tender. Transfer to a plate.

Back in the pan, add the polenta slices. Let them sit still for close to 5 minutes. Flip and sear another 5, or until lightly crisped and golden on both sides.

Pour a little sauce in the bottom of a bowl. Then layer! Place a polenta round in the center, then a dollop of ricotta, a zucchini slice, and repeat until you have 4 to 6 layers. Top with a little bit of arugula, another drizzle of the tomato sauce, and some parmesan shavings.

Stacks, stacks!

My parents are on their way up today to celebrate a) my berntday tomorrow (!!) b) a sonogram (!!!) and c) my washed hair (!!!!) So I’ll be back Monday mernin’ with something a little fun. OH JUST YOU WAIT.