Creamy White Bean and Mushroom Ragout with Polenta

Ingredients

Ragout

• 450 g cremini mushrooms, quarteredOr half cremini, half shiitake for more depth — slice any large ones so pieces stay bite-sized after cooking down.
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oilDivided.
• 1 yellow onion, finely dicedAbout 150 g.
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 4 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato pasteCheck the label if you're highly sensitive — most brands are gluten-free, but a few use wheat-based additives.
• 15 g dried porcini mushrooms, crumbledThe secret weapon for a deeply savory, meaty ragout without any meat.
• 2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, gluten-freeRead labels carefully here — many commercial broths contain barley or wheat. Homemade or a certified GF brand is safest.
• 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsedOne 15-oz can, or about 250 g cooked from dried.
• 4 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp butter, gluten-freePlain butter is naturally gluten-free; skip flavored or blended spreads unless labeled GF.

Polenta

• 60 g freshly grated Parmesan, gluten-freeAuthentic Parmigiano-Reggiano is legally gluten-free; some imitation grated cheeses carry anti-caking agents with starch — check the label.
• 120 g coarse-ground cornmeal (polenta)Buy plain stone-ground cornmeal labeled gluten-free — bulk-bin cornmeal risks cross-contamination with wheat.
• kosher salt

To finish

• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Steps

1. Quarter the fresh mushrooms, dice the onion and carrot, slice the garlic, and crumble the dried porcini into small pieces. Get everything within arm's reach before you turn on the heat — the ragout moves quickly at the start, and the polenta needs stirring later without distraction.5 min
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the fresh mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone for 4 minutes — don't stir — so they brown instead of steaming. Stir once, cook 3 more minutes until deeply golden, then transfer to a plate and season lightly with salt.15 min
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, onion, and carrot with a pinch of salt. Cook 6–7 minutes, scraping up the browned mushroom bits, until softened and just starting to color. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 90 seconds until the paste darkens to brick red and smells sweet.8 min
4. Return the browned mushrooms to the pot along with the dried porcini, broth, beans, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer, then partially cover and cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the porcini have softened the sauce and it's thick enough to coat a spoon. Fish out the thyme stems, stir in 1 tbsp of the butter, and taste — it will likely want a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.Hands-off · 25 min
5. While the ragout simmers, bring 4 cups (950 ml) of water to a boil with 1 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Rain in the polenta slowly while whisking to prevent lumps. Reduce to the lowest heat and cook, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon, for 25–30 minutes until thick and pulling away from the sides. Whisk in the remaining 1 tbsp butter and the Parmesan. If it stiffens, loosen with a splash of hot water — polenta should slump slowly off the spoon.25 min
6. Stir the parsley and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Divide the polenta between two warm shallow bowls, spoon the ragout generously over the top, and scatter with the gremolata. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan at the table.2 min