Veal Parmesan with Pancetta-Roasted Mushrooms and Creamy Polenta

Many components add up to a sumptuous meal.  Due to timing involved, it may be best to make this with two people in the kitchen – great for Valentine’s Day coming up this Thursday!

Makes 2-3

• For the sauce:

24 oz. of Hunt’s whole plum tomatoes

8 oz. of beef broth

1/2 of one white onion

1/4 cup of red wine (like a cabernet sauvignon)

2 tbs. of olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp. of dried oregano

1 tsp. of dried basil

Preheat a medium size saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil.  Dice the onion and garlic finely (not together).  Add the onion to the heated olive oil, cook for 1 minute and then reduce heat to medium low.  Let sit for 15 minutes on medium low, stirring every 1-2 minutes.  Add the diced garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes on medium low, stirring every 1-2 minutes.

Add all the other ingredients and stir in.  Bring to a slow simmer, then reduce to low heat.  Cook for an hour, stirring every 5 minutes.  The whole tomatoes will break down naturally through cooking.

After an hour of cooking, run 3/4 of the sauce through a food processor, then recombine the 3/4 processed and 1/4 unprocessed sauces in the original saucepan.  Keep warm on the lowest heat possible.

• For the polenta:

2 cups of water

2 cups of whole milk

1 cup of Golden Pheasant polenta

1/2 cup of shredded BelGioioso Parmesan cheese

2 tbs. of butter

2 tsp. of kosher salt

Dash of freshly grated nutmeg

Bring water, milk, salt, and nutmeg to a boil in a medium size saucepan, preferably non-stick.  Slowly add polenta, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, still stirring, for 20-25 minutes.  Mix in butter and Parmesan cheese, then cover with a lid to keep warm.  Leave it on the burner but with the heat off so as to use the residual heat for warmth.

• For the mushrooms:

8 oz. of whole white button mushrooms

2 oz. of pancetta, finely diced

Splash of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Put all ingredients in a baking dish and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms are tender and pancetta is slightly crisped.  Stir 1-2 times during its period in the oven.

• For the veal parmesan cutlets:

Prepared tomato sauce (above)

3 veal cutlets, about 1/4 lb. each or less

2 cups of flour, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper

2 cups of panko crumbs

6 oz. of Galbani Precious fresh mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of canola oil

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 large eggs

Splash of milk

Sprinkling of shredded BelGioioso Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Put the flour, panko, and beaten eggs with a splash of milk in three different dishes with deep sides, to be used to coat the veal cutlets before frying.  Pound the veal cutlets and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Dredge the cutlets in flour, dusting off any excess.  Dip in beaten egg and milk mixture on both sides, and let excess drip off.  Coat the cutlets in panko on both sides.

In a large saute pan, heat both oils over medium-high heat.  Lay breaded cutlets in pan one at a time with at least 1 minute spacing apart.  Each cutlet needs no longer than 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Put a grate on a cookie sheet and place the cutlets on the grate, so that they’re not sitting in the tomato sauce you’re about to pour over.

With a spoon or ladle, portion about 2 tbs. of tomato sauce over each cutlet.  Sprinkle the Parmesan, then lay two 1 oz. slices of mozzarella over the sauce.  Put in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, until cheese melts.  Spoon a bit more sauce over the cheese before serving.  Have a green salad on the side to balance things out.