A super simple spring dinner of roasted asparagus with polenta, all topped with a mound of creamy burrata and a tangy-sweet balsamic drizzle.
I’m coming up for air after a bit of an asparagus bender this past month.
This basically happens every spring – as soon as asparagus comes to the market I go a little bit crazy, buy pounds of it every week, and then burn myself out until I can’t look at it anymore, which is just fine because by then it’s gone out of season.
Rinse and repeat on a yearly basis!
This super straightforward and weeknight-friendly roasted asparagus with polenta has been one of my favorite recipe discoveries from this year’s binge. And honestly, I even hesitate to call it a recipe – it’s that simple.
Basically, you make a big pot polenta, then top it with roasted asparagus and burrata. DONE. The length of time the polenta will require to cook is wholly dependent on how fine of a grind it is. I use Bob’s Red Mill cornmeal and it is almost like flour so it cooks pretty quickly. Coarser grinds will obviously take longer.
No idea why I haven’t done this before since one of my favorite pastimes is topping polenta with random leftover vegetables from my produce drawer. It’s kind of a weird hobby I have going on. Don’t judge.
- 1.25 tsp kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 cups polenta
- 2 bunches asparagus (~2 lb), ends trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz burrata
- balsamic syrup, for serving
- red pepper flakes, for serving
- Heat oven to 450F.
- Combine the salt and bay leaf with 6 cups of water in a large pot. Bring to a simmer then slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring constantly to break up any clumps. Stir for 5-10 minutes or until the polenta has thickened slightly.
- Decrease the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until tender, anywhere from 15-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until tender and browned.
- Once the polenta is done cooking, remove the bay leaf and stir in the butter. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Divide the polenta among 4 serving bowls. Top with the asparagus and a quarter of the burrata. Drizzle with balsamic syrup and red pepper flakes prior to serving.
I’ve never thought of polenta with burrata, but now I won’t be able to rest until I’ve tried it.
Drooling. I am loving this one!!