Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Polenta

I think this works best as an antipasto...

half medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into half-inch chunks
medium onion, chopped
2-3 tablespoons butter, olive oil, or combination of both
3-4 leaves chopped fresh sage or about 1 tablespoon dried sage
1 cup polenta
2.5 cups water
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Cook the squash until it’s tender and soft by either microwaving it in a covered bowl with a tablespoon of water or steaming over a pan of boiling water. Set aside.

Melt the butter or warm the oil over medium heat, add the onions, and cook slowly until they begin to caramelize, about 20-40 minutes. You don’t want them too brown or crispy, so avoid the temptation to turn up the heat and cook them quickly. Toward the end add the sage if you’re using fresh. They’ll get brown, but they won’t taste quite as sweet. Add the cooked squash and mash it bit with a fork, then stir in the sage if you’re using dry.

Make a fairly stiff batch of microwave polenta. Purists may also cook this over the stove, stirring constantly, etc, etc....

Before the polenta cools, stir in the onion-squash mixture and about a cup or so of grated Parmigiano. Blend this together and spread the polenta into a 9 X 12 inch baking pan, pressing it in and evening the top. It should be about a half-inch thick, but it doesn’t really matter. You can also spread it out on any flat surface, but a pan keeps the edges nice and straight. Allow to cool for at least an hour.

Cut the polenta into squares and remove from the pan. It’s ready to eat (best, I think, at room temperature), but you could also either fry the squares in some olive oil or brush them with oil and grill over a medium fire until you get little grill marks. This second cooking adds another flavor note but isn’t absolutely necessary.