Diane Morrisey, a friend we met through The FeedFeed's virtual Sunday Sauce event, is a digital creator and Instagram cooking machine! We have been following all of her recipes for months now and loving every dish she creates. She recently posted a series of Instagram stories creating the most perfect Italian polenta and meatball dish and we just had to share. It looks extra delicious in our Buongiorno! platter if we do say so ourselves. Diane's recipe is the ultimate comfort food and also super simple to make - give it a shot! You won't regret it. 

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

• 2 (28-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
• ¼ tsp chili flakes
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbls dried oregano
• 1½ cups fresh whole milk ricotta 
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

Polenta:

• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup instant polenta
• 3 tbls butter
• ¼ cup parsley and thyme, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup parmesan, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

In a large pot, heat the oil and add garlic and chili flakes. Let cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes and 1 can of water to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, let's make meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray sheet with non stick spray and then Drizzle 2 tbls olive oil and Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the minced garlic, basil, parsley, ricotta, Parmesan, turkey, and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix together with your hands. Form the mixture into balls (wet your fingers to keep the mixture from getting too sticky) Transfer the meatballs to the pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Drizzle the meatballs with olive oil and roast until they’re browned and firm to the touch, about 25-30 minutes, depending how big they are.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs to the sauce. Let them simmer for 30 minutes to an hour in the sauce

In a pot add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and gradually whisk in the polenta, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until polenta thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, herbs and cheese. Mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper!

Recipe credit to Diane Morrisey, @dianemorrisey