Polenta with Butter-Braised Asparagus

This is adapted from Marcella Hazan's brilliant recipe for "Creamy Polenta." Because you were afraid of polenta! You demanded the right to not stir it so much! And we listened. We heard you.

Total time: 1 hour (with 10 minutes for asparagus)
Yield: Serves 4

4 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1 cup polenta or coarse corn meal (use the best you can find, preferably stone-ground)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for topping.

For the Butter-braised Asparagus:
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1 bunch asparagus, washed and cut into 1-inch lengths
Fresh lemon for squeezing
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan (one that has a lid), then add the polenta in a thin stream, whisking (it will seem lumpy at first, but that's fine). Cook over moderate heat, whisking, for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
2. Cook the polenta at a bare simmer, stirring with wooden spoon for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, for 45 minutes total (I set the timer for 10 minutes, then make a littler mark on a pad to keep track of how many times I've done this; it sounds more complicated than it is). Remove the polenta from the heat and whisk in the butter and cheese until incorporated.
3. For the asparagus: In a medium/smallish pan, bring the water, butter and salt to a simmer over medium heat and add the asparagus. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally at first and then more often, until the asparagus is tender and the liquid is more or less evaporated to a glaze, around 4 minutes (if the water evaporates before the asparagus is cooked, add another tablespoon).
4. Add a big squeeze of lemon and a grinding of black pepper and serve over the polenta.

Read more about Catherine making Polenta with Butter-Braised Asparagus with her family.

See more recipes from Catherine Newman at her "Dalai Mama Dishes" blog.