Mediterranean delight: polenta meets summer vegetables and fine pesto
Wine with food is a true art – at the same time inspiration for ever new culinary combinations. This vegetarian dish proves how delicious the combination of wine and food can be: Golden, crispy fried polenta slices, accompanied by aromatic tomato ragout and spicy-nutty arugula pesto. The textures merge, the colors shine Mediterranean. Perfect as a summer main course or refined appetizer. Polenta becomes a versatile stage for regional vegetable cuisine and invites you to experiment with Italian-inspired components. Accompanied by a fresh, fruity white wine – the result is a harmoniously coordinated food pairing that enriches every table.
Ideal wine pairing: Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC (Friuli, Italy)
A Pinot Grigio from Friuli brings an elegant, fresh character with fine fruit to the glass. Its subtle floral notes, the delicate assessment of green apple, pear and citrus carry the summery freshness of the tomato ragout and underline the nutty, slightly peppery aromas of the rocket pesto. Thanks to its balanced acidity, it balances the crunchiness of the polenta without masking the subtle herb nuances.
The variety of textures of the dish – gently melting polenta, juicy tomatoes, a hint of garlic and the rocket pesto pulsating for a fruit kick – calls for a wine with moderate acidity, a lively relationship between freshness and body as well as subtle fruitiness. Pinot Grigio is a prime example of uncomplicated elegance: it absorbs the herbal notes, underlines the umami tone of the ragout and always remains present despite its mild structure.
Further wine recommendations for this dish
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC (Marche, Italy)
This Italian white wine combines crisp freshness with subtle notes of white peach and green almonds. The fine saltiness combines excellently with the nutty aroma of the rocket pesto and makes the Mediterranean component of the tomato ragout shine. The mild acidity supports the dish, while the elegant reverberation harmoniously rounds off the food pairing.
Chardonnay (Yarra Valley, Australia)
A modern, unobtrusively wood-aged Chardonnay from the southern hemisphere plays around the buttery notes of polenta and at the same time brings fresh citrus aromas. Its fine creaminess combines with the slightly melting texture of the slices and highlights the spicy arugula pesto with its restrained elegance.
Grenache Rosé IGP Pays d’Oc (Languedoc, France)
With floral notes, a scent of red berries and animating freshness, a Grenache Rosé brings lightness to the table. It complements the tomato base of the ragout particularly well, while the herbal spice of the pesto is contrasted by the restrained fruitiness – ideal for warm days.
Pinot Blanc d’Alsace AOC (Alsace, France)
This elegant, dry white wine convinces with fine minerality, delicate melting and notes of green pear. The moderate acidity blends smoothly with the polenta and Italian herbs, while the fruity note enhances the ragout and supports the freshness of the pesto.
Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand)
The distinct aroma of this overseas Sauvignon with notes of gooseberry, lime and fresh grass corresponds perfectly with the summery character of the tomato ragout and the herb freshness. Its tangy acidity ensures lightness – pleasantly balancing the richness of the polenta slices.
The recipe:
Polenta-Schnitten mit Tomatenragout & Rucola-Pesto
Cooking utensils
- 1 Topf
- 1 Backblech oder Auflaufform
- 1 Bratpfanne
- 1 Mixbecher für das Pesto
- 1 Messer
- 1 Schneidebrett
Ingredients
Für die Polenta-Schnitten
- 150 g Polenta Maisgrieß
- 400 ml Gemüsebrühe
- 100 ml Milch
- 25 g Parmesan frisch gerieben
- 1 EL Butter
- Salz Pfeffer
- 1 EL Olivenöl zum Braten
Für das Tomatenragout
- 250 g reife Kirschtomaten oder Datteltomaten
- 1 kleine Zwiebel
- 1 Knoblauchzehe
- 2 EL Olivenöl
- 1 TL Tomatenmark
- 1 TL Zucker
- 1 TL Balsamico
- Salz Pfeffer
- Frische Kräuter Basilikum, Oregano
Für das Rucola-Pesto
- 40 g Rucola
- 20 g geröstete Pinienkerne
- 30 g Parmesan
- 1 kleine Knoblauchzehe
- 50 ml Olivenöl
- Salz Pfeffer
- Zitronensaft nach Geschmack
Preparation
Polenta zubereiten
- Gemüsebrühe und Milch in einem Topf zum Kochen bringen.
- Polenta einrühren, bei niedriger Hitze ca. 5 Minuten köcheln lassen, bis die Masse andickt.
- Parmesan und Butter unterheben, mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen.
- Die Masse auf ein Backblech oder in eine Auflaufform 2cm dick streichen und vollständig auskühlen lassen.
- Im Anschluss in Rechtecke schneiden und in Olivenöl knusprig ausbraten.
Tomatenragout
- Zwiebel und Knoblauch fein hacken.
- Olivenöl in einer Pfanne erhitzen, Zwiebel und Knoblauch glasig anschwitzen.
- Tomaten halbieren, hinzugeben und 2-3 Minuten anbraten.
- Tomatenmark, Zucker und Balsamico zugeben, mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen.
- 10 Minuten leicht köcheln lassen, bis eine sämige Sauce entsteht. Mit Kräutern abschmecken.
Rucola-Pesto
- Rucola grob hacken, mit Pinienkernen, Parmesan, Knoblauch, Olivenöl, Salz, Pfeffer und Zitronensaft im Mixer fein pürieren.
Anrichten
- Polenta-Schnitten auf Teller geben, Tomatenragout darauf verteilen, mit Rucola-Pesto beträufeln.
- Mit frischen Kräutern garnieren.
Empfohlene Beilagen
- Grüner Blattsalat mit Granatapfelkernen
- Gegrilltes Gemüse, z. B. Zucchini oder Paprika
- Frisches Ciabatta-Brot
