SOFT POLENTA WITH PUTTANESCA SAUCE(for four)

For the puttanesca sauce:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

2 pounds plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata, Nicoise or Gaeta olives

¼ cup drained capers

¼ cup coarsely chopped cured anchovy fillets

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

For the polenta:

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup polenta

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1.  To make the sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

2.  Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and red pepper flakes, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer until the tomatoes are tender and begin to break down, 25 to 30 minutes.  Season with salt and black pepper and stir in the parsley.  Keep the sauce warm.

3.  To make the polenta, in a sauce pan over high heat, bring the water to a boil.  Add the salt.  Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, add the polenta in a thin, steady stream until incorporated.  Continue stirring to prevent lumps from forming.  Reduce heat so the mixture bobbles occasionally.  Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the polenta is thick and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes.

4.  Divide the polenta among warmed pasta bowls.  Pour about ½ cup of the sauce over each portion and pass the rest at the table.  Serve immediately.

adapted from the Williams Sonoma Kitchen