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Polentone with Broccoli and Speck

17/11/2023

With pleasure! Polenta with broccoli and speck is a hearty and flavorful dish, an ideal variant to enrich the classic polenta with the strong taste of speck and the freshness of broccoli. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

  • 250 g of instant polenta (or as indicated on your package for 4 servings)
  • 1-1.2 liters of water (or as suggested on the polenta packaging)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 400 g of broccoli
  • 150 g of sliced speck
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Black pepper (optional)
  • Grated cheese to taste (Parmesan or other aged cheese)

Preparation

  1. Cook the polenta: Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add salt. Then pour the polenta in a rain, stirring continuously with a whisk or a wooden spoon. Let it cook according to the time indicated on the package, stirring occasionally to avoid lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pot.

  2. Clean the broccoli: In the meantime, divide the broccoli into florets, washing them well under running water.

  3. Cook the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a pot with already boiling salted water for about 5-7 minutes or until it is tender but still crunchy. Drain and set aside.

  4. Sauté the speck and broccoli: In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil with whole garlic clove until it becomes golden. Add the sliced speck and fry it until it becomes crispy. Remove the garlic and add the broccoli to the skillet with the speck, letting it flavor for a few minutes. If you want, you can grind some black pepper on top for a bolder taste.

  5. Serve: Pour the polenta on plates, arrange the broccoli and speck mix on top and complete with a sprinkle of grated cheese. The warm polenta will melt the cheese slightly, creating a pleasant creaminess.

Curiosity

Polenta is a very versatile dish - if you prefer, you can also cook the polenta in advance, let it cool, cut it into slices, and then grill it or brown it in a pan for a different texture. The combination of polenta and speck is very common in Northern Italy, particularly in Trentino-South Tyrol where speck is a typical ingredient.

Polentone with Broccoli and Speck