Breakfast or Dinner Polenta Bowls topped with Asparagus, Pancetta and Poached Eggs • theVintageMixer.com

Polenta with Asparagus Pancetta and a Poached Egg

Written by Becky

This Creamy Polenta Bowl is loaded with Asparagus, Pancetta and a Poached Egg on top, making for a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Since its a 20 minute recipe, you really can enjoy it any time of day! And we do.

Sneaking the pancetta off of the polenta bowls

Eggs are a staple at our house.  Though there are only 3 of us eating eggs currently in our little family, some weeks we can go through a whole 18 carton of eggs! We do scrambled or fried eggs in the morning most days and on the mornings that we don’t have eggs, we usually includes an egg on top of dinner. Eggs are a great way to increasing our protein intake and making a meal a bit more substantial.

I first made these Polenta Bowls for dinner but I do think they would totally work for a great breakfast (think cheesy grits). And I think asparagus is totally a veggie to enjoy in the am. Pancetta is like a Italian bacon, so that’s also an easy one to enjoy morning, noon, or night.

Dinner Polenta Bowls topped with sautéed asparagus and pancetta

About the Recipe

• This can be made all on one pan (with the exception of the poached egg):  Cook the pancetta with the asparagus, remove from pan then add in the polenta with the broth.
• A poached egg doesn’t have to be intimidating.  With my easy poached egg directions, any one can master it! See the directions below.
• For extra creamy polenta finish with a couple tablespoons of cream or half and half and a good measure of parmesan.
• When picking types of polenta, I use the pre-cooked polenta (the one in a tube) for this recipe, just to shorten even further, the cook time of the dish.
• Pancetta is basically Italian bacon, so if you can’t find it use bacon and just crumble it up or cut into small pieces before cooking it. I buy pancetta uncooked and pre-diced at my local grocer.

Besides eating a whole lotta eggs and asparagus this season, I can’t wait to try out some of my fellow bloggers’ inspiration for May.  Here is a lovely array of Spring recipes to try out! Follow along on Instagram on the #eatseasonal hashtag for more ideas.

Recipes with Seasonal Ingredients • theVintageMixer.com

Roasted Rhubarb Crazy Berry Meringues by Letty’s Kitchen

Polenta with Asparagus, Pancetta and a Poached Egg by Vintage Mixer

Baked Cauliflower Casserole with Goat Cheese by Cookin’ Canuk

Date-Sweetened Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie by JoyFoodSunshine

Sea Salt Focaccia with Radish Ramp Butter by Simple Bites

Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower and Tempeh Power Salad {vegan} by Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Halloumi Salad with Beets and Blackberries by Kitchen Confidante

Spring Farro Salad with Feta, Lemon, and Mint by Flavor the Moments

Spiralized Zucchini, Quinoa and Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers by Foodie Crush

Chocolate Rhubarb Pavlova by  Suitcase Foodist

Mediterranean Farro Salad with Arugula and Chickpeas by Aggie’s Kitchen

Radish and Asparagus Breakfast Bowls by Food for My Family

Hummus and Salad Flatbread Pizza by Completely Delicious

Beer-Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers with Spring Quinoa Salad by Floating Kitchen

Breakfast Polenta Bowls with asparagus and poached eggs

Breakfast or Dinner Polenta Bowls topped with Asparagus, Pancetta and Poached Eggs • theVintageMixer.com

Polenta with Asparagus Pancetta and a Poached Egg

Becky
A quick and easy recipe for Polenta Bowls with Pancetta, Asparagus and Poached Eggs that you cane enjoy for breakfast or dinner!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine American, Gluten Free
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ounces pancetta
  • 16-20 spears asparagus
  • 18 ounces pre cooked polenta*
  • 1 cup bone broth (or veg broth)
  • 2 tablespoons cream or half and half
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and asparagus (if the asparagus is thick I like to slice it in half lengthwise). Cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is bright green cooked but still slightly crisp (5-7 minutes). Transfer asparagus and pancetta to a plate and set skillet to the side.
  • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add in a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Add in eggs one at a time (I like to break them into a bowl first then stir the water (so it's moving) and slide the egg gently from the bowl into the moving water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Remove this pot from the heat and cover for 7-8 minutes (setting a timer is always a good thing for poached eggs). Once done you can use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a paper towel lined plate.
  • While eggs are cooking, cut the roll of cooked polenta up into cubes and add to the same skillet you used for the asparagus. Return the skillet to a medium heat and add a few tablespoons of broth. Use a wooden spoon or a whisk to break up the polenta into the broth. Once mostly broken up, add in the rest of the broth. Let cook until broth is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then stir in cream and parmesan. Spoon out into bowls and top with pancetta, asparagus and poached egg.

Notes

For this recipe I use pre-cooked polenta. You can find this in a little plastic roll or tube usually in the pasta isle of most grocery stores. This shortens the recipe, making it a great quick meal. If the asparagus is thick, slice it in half lengthwise before cooking. Pancetta can be subbed for bacon. If using bacon finely dice it up before cooking it.

Comments (10)

  1. Yay! I love polenta so much. But it tends to be one of those staples I forget about (food blogger problems!). I need to make it more a part of my regular cooking routine. This recipe is so delicious for any time of day. And beautiful photos, friend! XOXO!

  2. We go through a lot of eggs too and I feel that most things are better with an egg on top. 🙂 I love polenta and don’t make it enough, which I need to change. This is a meal that I would really enjoy day in and day out!

    • I’m all about the ‘egg on top’ trend!! And yes, you must add polenta into normal rotation, it’s just too easy and comforting 🙂

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