Needless to say, that creamy polenta is not only a quick and filling appetizer but a perfect vegetarian dish. To make polenta even richer in textures and flavors, play around with pesto and crunchy roasted chickpeas. This is an old Italian recipe, which proves the diligence of Italian housewives, who don’t allow food idle in the fridge. They cook this polenta using all heels of cheese. The more different kinds of cheese they add, the tastier polenta is.

Ingredients

• 7 oz cheese (which melts well, such as Gouda)
• 2 cups corn flour
• 1 ½ cup milk
• ½ cup butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 slices cottage bread
• Pesto sauce for serving
• Handful of chickpeas
• Salt
• Black pepper

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, combine milk and 1 ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, salt.
2. Crush cottage bread, add to the milk mixture and mix.
3. Stirring constantly, add corn flour. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Grate cheese and start adding it in a small portions. Stirring constantly until melted cheese.
5. Squash garlic with a knife. Melt butter in a frying pan and cook garlic until golden. Pour the garlic oil to polenta. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
6. Serve polenta topped with fried chickpeas and pesto.