Angela's Italian Recipe for Mushrooms and Kale with Creamy Polenta


Ingredients: 1 and 1/4 pounds kale, stemmed, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 cups whole milk 3 and 1/2 cups water 2 cups polenta 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 ounces pancetta, coarsely chopped 4 ounces mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shitake), sliced 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese Directions:

Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain. Bring milk, water, polenta, salt, and pepper to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook pancetta in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels. Add mushrooms and 2 tablespoons olive oil to drippings in skillet. Saute until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in kale and pancetta. Add garlic and broth; simmer until broth is slightly reduced, about 6 minutes. Stir in thyme, lemon peel, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk butter and Parmigiano cheese into polenta and divide among plates. Top with kale mixture. 6 main-course servings.

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