The oven-baked polenta and radicchio cakes are a simple yet tasty dish, combining the sweetness of polenta with the slight bitterness of radicchio in a recipe with a balanced and satisfying taste.
A rustic and comforting appetizer, ideal for a lunch or autumn dinner, or a main course for a convivial meal.
The soft and enveloping polenta perfectly complements the strong and slightly bitter taste of radicchio, while speck and cheese add a note of flavor and creaminess. An excellent alternative to enhance these two typical ingredients of Italian cuisine.
Below I leave you other delicious recipes with polenta and radicchio and then let’s go right below the photo to find out how to prepare the Oven-Baked Polenta and Radicchio Cakes!!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for Oven-Baked Polenta and Radicchio Cakes
- 6 oz cornmeal (for instant polenta or long-cooking polenta)
- 3 cups water
- to taste salt
- 2.5 oz diced speck
- 2.5 oz Taleggio (cubed)
- 2 heads radicchio (preferably late Treviso)
- 1 onion (small)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt (for the radicchio)
Tools
- 1 Muffin Tin
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
Preparation of Oven-Baked Polenta and Radicchio Cakes
To prepare the Oven-Baked Polenta and Radicchio Cakes, first clean the radicchio, removing the hard part of the stem, wash it, and cut it into thin strips.
Finely chop the onion.
In a pan, sauté the onion with a little extra virgin olive oil, then add the radicchio, salt it, and let it stew on high heat for about 10 minutes.
Stir frequently until well wilted and softened, set aside.
In a pot, bring the water to a boil, then gradually add the cornmeal while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Cook for about 8 minutes if using instant polenta or for the time indicated on the package, until the polenta reaches the right creamy consistency.
Preheat the oven in static mode at 356°F then grease the muffin molds with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Fill them 3/4 full with the still-hot polenta, then create a cavity in the center and fill it with the stewed radicchio.
Finish the cakes with cubes of speck and add some slices of taleggio or Parmesan shavings.
Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes, until the surface is golden and crispy.
How to store the Oven-Baked Polenta and Radicchio Cakes
In an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, alternatively, if you have many leftovers, you can freeze them.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I do if I have leftover polenta?
You can cut it into cubes and gratin it in the oven.
If I don’t have Taleggio, what cheese can I use?
You can use any melting cheese like Asiago, Latteria, or Parmesan shavings.
