squasherole

This week, we used the squash and basil we received in two different ways. This first recipe is a casserole with squash and fresh mozzarella, using polenta as the base.


Ingredients:
2 cups polenta
4 cups water
2 Tbsp butter, plus more to grease the casserole dish
5 summer squash, thinly sliced
4 patty pan squash, quartered and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 package fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 jar pasta sauce
about 15 leaves fresh purple basil, chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Boil the water then whisk in the polenta and stir constantly until the water is absorbed, about 6 minutes. Add in the butter for a richer tasting polenta. Butter a casserole dish and pour the polenta in, smoothing it out so that it covers the bottom of the dish completely. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the squash in olive oil, salt & pepper for a few minutes just until the squash begins to soften. When the polenta is done, remove from casserole dish from the oven and pour the squash over the polenta. Add the cheese then cover with pasta sauce. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the fresh basil and serve. Makes 6 servings.