You know I’m not Italian, but I like Italian food. So, this Southern cook set out to make an easy Italian meal that taste really good. And, here it is.

Easy Italian dinner for four starts with frozen turkey meatballs, but by all means use your favorite store-bought meatballs, or make your own. The sauce is from a jar, yes, I know I ought to be ashamed of myself, but hey, it’s good. And, the polenta recipe came from my cookbook that was published in 2007. I have tried to figure out where this easy polenta recipe came from originally, and I think it might have been from Michael Chiarello when  I took a class from him at The Greenbrier, but I’m not sure because Michael’s recipe for roasted polenta is across from this one. At any rate, this is really good polenta. The green peas were my idea, and I love them in this dish. Put them on the plate separately, and oh wow, what a nice sweetness to contrast with the tomato sauce.  Enjoy!

Meatballs and Sauce

12 turkey meatballs, unthawed (I used Cooked Perfect brand, dinner size)

1 (24 ounce) jar Traditional Sweet Basil  Pasta Sauce

Put the meatballs in a heavy pan. Add the sauce, and simmer for about 25 minutes on medium-low until meatballs are hot.

Polenta

2 cups milk

1/2 cup Quaker yellow cornmeal (as recommended by Michael Chiarello, this is the round container)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

Bring the milk and salt to a boil. Add cornmeal while whisking. Reduce heat to medium. Stir constantly while cornmeal is thickening. When the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, add the cheese and the butter. Stir to mix all ingredients. Line a small deep pan with plastic wrap. Pour in the polenta. Refrigerate. When sauce is almost ready, take the polenta out and slice into about 1-inch slices and fry in hot olive oil on one side and then the other. Divide between four plates.

Peas

1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

1 tablespoon olive oil

When you have removed the polenta to the serving plates, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add the peas to the hot skillet and toss until heated through.

Serving

Top the polenta with meatballs and sauce to taste among the four plates. Add the peas around the plates. Add a sprig of basil, and grated Parmigiano, to each serving and present to your happy guests or family.

This was so easy that I feel like I’ve forgotten something, but this is really all there is to it.

Serve with a salad, and fruit dessert.