Polenta With Wild Mushrooms and Marinara Sauce

• 1 cup fine yellow or white polenta
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, more to taste and for garnish
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound wild mushrooms, like oysters or maitakes, cleaned and torn into small pieces if large
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or sage
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup Simple Marinara Sauce (see recipe)

1. To make the polenta, place it and 3 1/2 cups water in a heavy 2 1/2- or 3-quart saucepan with a lid, and stir to combine.
2. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the fine polenta particles remain suspended and evenly distributed in the water without continuous stirring.
3. This should take 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover partly and cook, stirring often, until polenta is soft and holds its shape on a spoon, about 35 minutes.
5. Whisk in salt after 20 minutes.
6. When polenta is done, whisk in pepper, butter and Parmesan.
7. While polenta is cooking, pan-cook mushrooms.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a wide, heavy skillet or a wok.
9. Add mushrooms and cook, tossing and stirring often, until they sear and begin to sweat, about 3 minutes.
10. Reduce heat under mushrooms to medium.
11. Add another tablespoon oil and the shallots and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 minutes.
12. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary or sage.
13. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft, about 5 more minutes.
14. Add wine and cook, stirring, until it is no longer visible in the pan.
15. Add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning.
16. Remove from heat.
17. As soon as polenta is soft, spoon into wide bowls or onto plates.
18. Make a depression in the middle with the back of a spoon and add a spoonful of hot tomato sauce.
19. Top with a spoonful of mushrooms, sprinkle with Parmesan if desired, and serve.

polenta, salt, black pepper, unsalted butter, parmesan, extravirgin olive oil, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, white wine, parsley, simple

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017157 (may not work)