Name: Polenta incatenata (“Enchained” Polenta)
Yield: Serves 8 hungry people
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1¾ cups dried borlotti or white beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight; 1 head Savoy cabbage, core removed and chopped, or 1 large bunch kale, tough stems discarded and chopped; 3 or 4 waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Bintje, about ¾ pound total weight, peeled and cut into large pieces; 1 prosciutto bone (optional); 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ¼ pound pancetta, diced; 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped; Leaves from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, minced; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups polenta; Grated pecorino cheese

Preparation info

Serves
8
hungry people

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Italian Slow and Savory

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2004

About

The basic recipe for polenta incatenata braises together borlotti beans, Savoy cabbage, and potatoes, and then adds polenta that “enchains” them. I have collected a few different recipes for this hearty peasant dish. One is a meatless Ligurian version, transcribed by friend and fellow Italo-fanatic Fred Plotkin. Another is a Tuscan version with pancetta from Leonardo Romanelli that appears in the