Polenta, similar to Southern grits but Italian in origin, resonates with Americans as stick-to-your ribs comfort food. Its thick, creamy, starchiness is perfect as a bed for many dishes, such as rich braises and stews, or garnished with a sauce or vegetables that play off its nutty, minerally notes, polenta itself can the basis for a substantial meal. Traditionally, polenta requires constant stirring for up to an hour. With the novel techniques our polenta recipe employs, you’ll have a potful of flavorful polenta with far less work and much less time than if you had cooked the polenta the traditional way. A simple topping of sautéed cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese turns the polenta into a hearty first course or a light main course (that’s vegetarian, to boot).