Polenta Cake with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion minced
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 celery stalk small, preferably with leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ground
• 1 pound ground pork or a mix of ground pork and beef or Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup dry red wine good-quality
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste store-bought or homemade
• 36 ounces plum tomatoes canned, drained, seeded, and chopped, juices reserved
• 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves minced
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 polenta Basic
• 1/2 pound pecorino cheese semi-soft, such as fior di sardegna or tuscan caciotta, or young Spanish manchego, shredded
• olive oil for the baking dish and the work surface

Nutrition

• Calories : 460 calories
• Carbohydrate : 19 grams
• Cholesterol : 70 milligrams
• Fat : 35 grams
• Fiber : 3 grams
• Protein : 22 grams
• SaturatedFat : 12 grams
• Sodium : 910 milligrams
• Sugar : 7 grams