1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cornmeal
1 tbs olive oil
1 med red onion, finely sliced
1 lg clove garlic, chopped
2 med carrots, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely sliced
3 med tomatoes, chopped
6 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 lb part-skim mozzarella cheese, very finely sliced
1 tbs grated parmesan cheese
preheat the oven to 350 degrees. lightly oil a 13″x9″ baking pan.
in a large saucepan, combine 9 cups of water with the salt and bring to a boil over medium-heat. sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. reduce the heat to medium and cook the polenta, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the polenta is quite stiff, 10-15 minutes.
spoon the polenta into the prepared baking pan and spread it out to a uniform thickness. cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. add the onion and saute until very tender, about 10 minutes. add the garlic, carrots, celery,and tomatoes, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
in a cup, combine the tomato paste and 3/4 cup of hot water, and stir to blend. stir the tomato paste mixture into the vegetable mixture. add the basil, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne. cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
when the polenta is ready, spread the sauce over it. cover the sauce with the mozzarella slices, then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. return the polenta to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. serve the pizza hot.
serves 4
