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1
Heat the oven to 350u00b0F or 180u00b0C.
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2
Pour 3 cups of cold water into a saucepan and turn the heat up to high.
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3
Add 1 cup polenta/ cornmeal gradually, stirring until it is all mixed in.
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4
Stir in the paprika and nutmeg.
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5
Heat until boiling, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. NB: The polenta may spit if not stirred so be careful!
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6
When the polenta has thickened at the end of the 2 minutes, remove from the heat. Line a loaf pan with cling film/ saran wrap and pour the polenta in
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7
Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours until solid.
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8
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 3 minutes until soft.
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9
Add the chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste then simmer for 10 minutes.
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10
Meanwhile, turn the polenta onto a chopping board and remove the cling film. Cut it into about 18 squares. Slices can also be used if they fit your baking tray better.
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11
Pour a third of the tomato sauce into a baking tray, top with half the polenta squares. Repeat the layers ending with sauce (alternatively I use a large shallow baking tray so I use a single layer of polenta squares with tomato sauce underneath and poured over the top).
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12
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
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13
Remove from the oven, sprinkle the cheese over the top and return to the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
