This creamy polenta recipe with parmesan cheese is a rich and comforting classic Italian side dish. Just 4 ingredients, ready in about 30 minutes, vegetarian and gluten free!
This Italian parmesan polenta recipe is creamy and cheesy and exactly what you need in your back pocket for a simple side dish, or as a more prominent component of a main dish.
I love to cook polenta because of its versatility and simplicity. It's just coarsely ground cornmeal, but it comes out with a smooth, creamy texture, and this version is just cheesy enough to feel indulgent.
Italian polenta has a very doable cooking time of about 30 minutes—don't be fooled by faster recipes, we are not making instant grits here, people!—and the leftovers can be turned into polenta cakes which can be baked, fried, or grilled.
Serve creamy parmesan polenta instead of mashed potatoes, put some in a bowl and top it with Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, or try it as a gluten free alternative to pasta. It's vegetarian too, and see the FAQ section below for the vegan recipe option.
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Creamy polenta ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make this creamy version of classic Italian polenta!
- Polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal): You want to make sure that you are using cornmeal that is designated for polenta, because it will be specifically ground for the right texture. You can find coarse polenta and a more medium grind that will both work well. I use Bob's Red Mill coarse cornmeal polenta.
- Whole milk: Whole milk will create the creamy base we're looking for.
- Water: We'll mix water and milk to cook the polenta, and keep a "backup" pan of simmering water to add as it continues to absorb the liquid.
- Butter: Just a couple of tablespoons of butter will give the polenta a nice shine and help the cheese blend in.
- Parmesan cheese: Please use freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (the REAL stuff) and grate it yourself! The flavor is so much better. Real parmesan will make the polenta cheesy without being heavy.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make creamy polenta
Step 1: Simmer the liquids
Bring 3 cups water and 1 cup whole milk to a simmer in a large, deep stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
In another sauce pan, bring 4 cups of water to a low simmer.
Step 2: Stir in the polenta
Slowly add the polenta to the pot by hand, letting it rain down through your fingers. This method is called "a pioggia" (like rain) in Italian. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while adding each handful. It should take 3-5 minutes to add all of the coarse cornmeal to the pot.
Step 3: Cook the polenta
Continue to stir the polenta as it absorbs the liquid, allowing it to gently bubble in the pot. Add more more of your backup simmering water as the polenta thickens, just as you would when cooking risotto.
After about 20 minutes, you will have used most or all of your backup water and the polenta should be tender and creamy without being too thick.
PRO TIP Cooked polenta will thicken as it stands, so stop cooking it just before it reaches the texture you're looking for.
Step 4: Stir in butter and cheese
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter vigorously with a wooden spoon until the polenta is smooth and shiny.
Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted and fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Transfer the creamy polenta to a serving bowl and top with more parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
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Expert tips
- To avoid lumpy polenta, make sure your milk and water are not too hot and add the polenta slowly and gradually. You just want the liquid at a low simmer, not boiling and foaming. Add the polenta in handfuls, stirring after each one.
- You need to stir polenta very frequently, but not constantly. Cooking Italian polenta is a lot like cooking risotto. It needs to be stirred a lot, but you need to give it a minute to absorb the liquid, too. As long as you keep the polenta over medium-low to medium heat, you can let the polenta bubble for a minute or so between adding ladles of water as it cooks.
- Use a deep pot because polenta bubbles and spurts, so it could go right over the sides of a shallow pan.
- If at any time the polenta seems to be really sticking to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat (or remove from heat for a minute) and stir in more liquid.
- If your polenta is too thick, add more hot liquid and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.
The #1 technique for perfectly creamy polenta
You might be surprised to know that the secret to creamy polenta is how you cook it, not what you put in it. First, it needs to be cooked at a lower temperature for at least 20 minutes to give the corn meal enough time to absorb enough liquid to become tender.
As the cornmeal slowly cooks, it releases its starches into the liquid, making it extra creamy. This means it takes a little longer to cook, but ensures that the texture of the polenta will be tender and smooth.
FAQ
Polenta is an Italian side dish made of coarsely ground dried yellow corn that is cooked in hot liquid like water, milk or chicken stock. (It can also refer to the yellow cornmeal itself.)
Polenta is made of corn so it is completely gluten free!
Polenta is made of dried corn, so it does taste like corn! It's lightly sweet and takes on the flavors of the liquids and seasonings that it's cooked with.
To keep polenta from becoming lumpy, you must add it to the pot slowly and stir constantly. When you add too much all at once, lumps form. Make sure you are using a coarsely ground corn meal, as finely ground will create more lumps.
Yes! Just substitute olive oil for the butter, replace the milk with more water, and omit the cheese. You can still get a very creamy consistency to your polenta without using any dairy products at all. Most of what makes polenta creamy is the cooking method itself, not the additional ingredients.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to serve this creamy parmesan polenta, and it doesn't necessarily have to be alongside Italian recipes.
- Serve with homemade tomato sauce and top with veggies like Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts or Crispy Roasted Cauliflower for a complete vegetarian dinner.
- Makes a great side dish for Cast Iron Skillet Steak or Braised Short Ribs.
- Creamy polenta is a great base for saucy recipes like Sausage and Cannellini Beans or Garlic Shrimp.
Storage, reheating, and polenta cakes
Store creamy polenta in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat parmesan polenta and have it as a creamy side dish again, just reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop, or for a couple of minutes in the microwave, adding more milk or water if necessary.
If you'd like to make polenta cakes from your leftover polenta and bake, grill or fry them, first pour the warm polenta into a baking dish or onto a sheet pan so it's about ½ inch thick. Then cover and chill overnight.
Cut it into squares (or any other shape) and prepare the following ways:
Bake polenta
Place the polenta squares onto a lightly oiled sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy.
Grill polenta
Brush the parmesan polenta with olive oil and place directly on a hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side.
Fry polenta
Place a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add a bit of olive oil. Add the polenta and fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes until crispy.
Creamy polenta recipe variations
- Swap the cheese (or add more!): Instead of making polenta with parmesan, make it with other hard cheeses like Pecorino Romano, or a creamy cheese like fontina, or use a mix and make really cheesy polenta!
- Replace the water with chicken stock or vegetable stock: Stock will add another level of flavor to the polenta. I find chicken stock adds richness, and vegetable stock adds sweetness.
- Add some spice: Top with a pinch of crushed red pepper, or stir in a swirl Calabrian chili paste just before serving.
Creamy polenta with parmesan is an easy and versatile Italian recipe
- You only need 4 ingredients and one pan!
- Cooks in about 30 minutes.
- Serve it as a side dish or as a larger component of a main dish.
- Jazz it up with a variety of mix-ins like cheeses, broth, or spices.
- Vegetarian and gluten free, and can easily be made vegan!
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Recipe
Creamy Polenta Recipe
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Equipment
- 4.5 quart Dutch oven or deep stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 7 cups water divided
- 1½ cups polenta coarse grind
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups water and 1 cup whole milk to a simmer in a large Dutch oven or deep stock pot over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- In another sauce pan, bring 4 cups of water to a low simmer.
- Slowly add the polenta to the pot of milk and water by hand, letting it rain down through your fingers. This method is called "a pioggia" (like rain) in Italian. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while adding each handful.
- Continue to stir the polenta as it absorbs the liquid, allowing it to gently bubble in the pot. Add more more of your backup simmering water as the polenta thickens, just as you would when cooking risotto.
- After about 20 minutes, you will have used most or all of your backup water and the polenta should be tender and creamy without being too thick. Note that polenta will thicken as it stands, so remove from heat just before you reach your desired consistency.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter vigorously with a wooden spoon until the polenta is smooth and shiny.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted and fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Transfer the polenta to a serving bowl and top with more parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- To avoid lumpy polenta, make sure your milk and water are not too hot and add the polenta slowly and gradually. You just want the liquid at a low simmer, not boiling and foaming. Add the polenta in handfuls, stirring after each one.
- You need to stir polenta very frequently, but not constantly. Cooking Italian polenta is a lot like cooking risotto. It needs to be stirred a lot, but you need to give it a minute to absorb the liquid, too. As long as you keep the polenta over medium-low to medium heat, you can let the polenta bubble for a minute or so between adding ladles of water as it cooks.
- Use a deep pot because polenta bubbles and spurts, so it could go right over the sides of a shallow pan.
- If at any time the polenta seems to be really sticking to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat (or remove from heat for a minute) and stir in more liquid.
- If your polenta is too thick, add more hot liquid and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.
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