Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the vegetables
Dice the onion, carrot and celery into small cubes. Finely chop the garlic, and tear or chop the sage leaves. Drain and rinse the white beans.
Cook the vegetable base
Heat 20 ml of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion starts to turn golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic, sage and smoked paprika, and cook for another 30 seconds.
Cook the bean ragù
Add the chopped tomatoes, white beans, 2 g of salt and the black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the beans. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice; the ragù should be rich in flavor, slightly tangy and not watery.
Cook the polenta
While the ragù cooks, bring 900 ml of water and 4 g of salt to a boil in a second pot. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and cook according to the package instructions, usually for 5–8 minutes, stirring often to prevent it from sticking. The cooked polenta should be smooth and soft; if it becomes too thick, stir in 30 ml of hot water taken from the measured 900 ml before adding the polenta.
Season and serve
Chop the parsley and stir it into the ragù. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt from the measured 6 g as needed. Serve immediately: spoon polenta onto each plate and top with the ragù.
