Polenta Pizza with Pesto, Gorgonzola, Pear and Chives

I have always loved pizza, and now that I am mostly gluten free, I really miss it. As my taste buds have changed, I don’t miss the crust as much, but appreciate it for being a great vehicle for cheese, sauce and veggies! I tried experimenting with different bases and my favorite turned out to be polenta. It is definitely a "fork and knife" pizza, as it does not become rigid enough to pick up and eat. The creaminess of the polenta, along with my favorite toppings, work out to be pretty fantastic together.

I always use pesto as the sauce for my pizza instead of tomato. You can find my recipe for pesto here. I make it in the summer with basil from the garden and freeze it for later use. (Store-bought pesto can be used for this as well). And I do love the pear and Gorgonzola combo! I think anyone will enjoy these flavors, and those with Celiac Disease and/or gluten or wheat sensitivities will especially appreciate this recipe.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup polenta
• 2¼ cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup pesto (or to taste)
• 1 pear, sliced or diced (or to taste)
• 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola (or to taste)
• tablespoon chopped chives (or to taste)
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• sea salt and black pepper (about ½ teaspoon each)

DIRECTIONS

I use a well-seasoned cast iron pan for this recipe, but if you are using a baking dish, make sure it is oiled.

Heat oven to 400° F. Make the pesto.

In a saucepan, bring 2¼ cups water or stock to a boil. Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until the polenta starts to pull away from the side of the pan. This should take 4-5 minutes. Then, stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

When the polenta is done, scoop it into your prepared dish and smooth it over the bottom and up the sides. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove carefully and spread the top with the pesto. Spread pears and crumbled Gorgonzola on top of the pesto layer. Bake until the polenta is crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chives and more freshly ground pepper.

I had leftover polenta so I made mini pizzas. I think these would be great for a dinner party as an appetizer!