POLENTA CRUST WITH PESTO, BRUSSELS SPROUTS, AND ROASTED RED PEPPER
This simple-but-hearty polenta crust, adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s The Italian Country Table, is a cinch using Kasper’s double-boiler technique.
Preparation time: 1 hour 40 minutes plus at least 2 hours to let crust set up (ideally overnight)
Makes one 9-x-13-inch pizza
Crust
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 3 cups boiling water
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Toppings
- 1 cup shelled edamame (if using frozen edamame, thaw first)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 to 6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
- 1 cup sliced roasted bell pepper
Make the crust: Fill a 6-quart pot halfway with water, and bring to a simmer. Place the cornmeal in an 8-quart stainless-steel bowl, and whisk in the 3 cups of boiling water until smooth. Stir in the salt. Seal the bowl with aluminum foil, and set it over the pot of simmering water. Cook for a total of 90 minutes: During the first 20 minutes, stir several times; then stir every 20 to 30 minutes. (Replenish simmering water, if necessary.) Spread polenta into an oiled 9-x-13-inch pan, and refrigerate until chilled (or up to five days). When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Make the pesto topping: Blend the first six ingredients together in a food processor until smooth, and use to top the pizza along with the other ingredients. Bake until toppings are warmed through.