Polentagna – The Easier, Cozier Cousin of Lasagna

If lasagna had a laid-back, summer-loving cousin, this would be it. Polentagna swaps pasta sheets for creamy polenta, layers in a fresh tomato-vegetable sauce, and crowns it all with a velvety “cheese” topping (vegan or not — your call!).

It’s comfort food you can prep ahead, freezer-friendly, and so much simpler to make than traditional lasagna. Plus, polenta is a galactagogue — it can help support milk supply for breastfeeding mamas.

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What You’ll Need (for a 20 x 15 cm / 8 x 6 inch baking dish)

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Polenta Base

• 1 cup instant polenta (yellow or white)

• 3 cups water

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• a pinch of thyme

Tomato-Veggie Sauce

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 can peeled tomatoes or 1½ cups tomato purée

• Basil, bay leaf, oregano, salt & pepper (to taste)

• 500 g / 1 lb vegetables (asparagus or zucchini, peppers, carrots — any favorite veg)

Creamy Topping (vegan “cheese”)

• ½ cup cashews (soaked in warm water)

• 1 cup water

• 5 tsp tapioca starch (or any thickener/starch)

• 2–4 tsp nutritional yeast flakes

• 1–2 tsp salt

• 1–2 tsp lemon juice

Shortcut: Use your favorite cheese instead.

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How to Make It

1. Cook the polenta
   In a saucepan, bring water to a boil, add solt, thyme, whisk in the polenta (1:3 ratio water to polenta), and 1 tbsp oil. Stir until thick and smooth. Spread evenly over the bottom of a greased baking dish.

2. Make the sauce
   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, sauté the onion until soft. Add tomatoes and herbs, and let simmer.

3. Prepare the veggies
   For asparagus: cut the stems into 1 cm pieces and sauté lightly, then stir into the sauce. Reserve the tips for later. (If using other veggies, chop and sauté until just tender.)

4. Blend the topping
   In a blender, blitz the soaked cashews, water, tapioca, nutritional yeast, salt, and lemon juice until silky smooth.

5. Assemble
   Pour the tomato-veg sauce over the polenta base. Drizzle the creamy topping over everything. Arrange asparagus tips (or other veg) on top for a pretty finish.

6. Bake & Rest
   Bake at 180°C / 355°F for about 30 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing — it’ll hold together beautifully.