10 Recipes with Polenta That Are Comforting and Delicious - Gourmandelle (2024)

FAQs

How do you make polenta taste better? ›

Cooking it in milk will produce a rich and creamy polenta that's delicious and indulgent, but also heavy; stock (vegetable or chicken) will infuse the polenta with more flavor, but that flavor can also cover up the taste of the cornmeal.

Polenta can be served with various toppings, like tomato meat sauce or a “white” sauce of sausage and mushrooms. In Abruzzo, especially in the province of Aquila during Lent, polenta is served with snail sauce or cooked in milk and served seasoned with oil, garlic and chili peppers.

Polenta is often used to substitute grains like pasta and rice, as it's lower in calories and is a source of complex carbohydrates. Because complex carbohydrates aren't broken down as quickly as simple carbohydrates, it's ideal for individuals watching their blood sugar levels.

Polenta is a healthy gluten-free grain and good source of antioxidants that help protect your eyes and reduce your risk of certain chronic diseases. It shouldn't negatively affect your blood sugar levels as long as you stick to a reasonable portion size.

Cooked veggies are the perfect way to add hearty texture, richness, and flavor to creamy polenta. Try pairing it with roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, butternut squash, or cauliflower, with grilled mixed vegetables or zucchini, or with sautéed mushrooms.

Make sure you use a full-flavor broth to give the polenta the best flavor. We use Better Than Bouillon to make our broth. Butter: A healthy dose of butter makes the polenta super creamy and delicious. Parmesan: Parmesan is stirred into the cooked polenta and gives it a slightly cheesy flavor and tons of savory umami.

Made with coarse stone-ground cornmeal, polenta is often referred to as “Italian grits.” Like grits, polenta is a hearty porridge with a grainy texture. Polenta originated in Northern Italy where it was essential to many peasant and working class families—a simple yet satisfying dish.

Polenta is also delicious enjoyed on its own as a breakfast cereal. Though there are products specifically labeled "polenta," you can make this dish with any stone-ground coarse cornmeal, such as the bags you get for making cornbread.

Many recipes call for bringing water and/or milk to a boil and then slowly adding your coarse cornmeal to it, whisking constantly all the while to prevent lumps from forming.

What pairs with polenta? ›

Spoon steamed or cooked veggies over hot polenta. Add cheese, herbs or other favorite seasonings. Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Add sautéed greens and protein of choice including meats, cheese, lentils and legumes.

In a large, deep saucepan, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter.

(Which is why some recipes for polenta dictate that the constant stirring is truly necessary only at the beginning and then intermittently.) Placing the pot in an oven surrounds it with a uniform, unvarying temperature. When the temperature is constant, the stirring need not be.

“I also love it with a stew of vongole [or pipis], with tomatoes and chilli.” Yotam Ottolenghi adds fresh corn to his, cooking the kernels with the polenta and topping it with a rich sausage ragu. Trimboli, a traditionalist, likes to eat his with salt and grated parmesan or with a ragu of veal, oxtail or osso buco.

Slice, Heat, Top, and Eat

The truth of the matter is that precooked polenta can be sliced up, heated, and topped with your favorite fixings for an easy meal. Suggestions include: Mexican: Black beans, salsa, sour cream, cilantro. Italian: Sauteed mushrooms, marinara sauce, basil, Parmesan cheese.

The Liquid

In Italian cooking, polenta is made with water. Some more Americanized recipes will prompt you to start with milk or stock, but (in my opinion) they are wrong. Hydrating your polenta with water will allow the flavor of the corn to shine, and it will allow each individual grain to absorb salt more readily.

Yes, both grits and polenta are made from ground corn, but the main difference here is what type of corn. Polenta, as you can probably guess from the color, is made from yellow corn, while grits are normally made from white corn (or hominy).