Creamy Polenta Recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 240kcal
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!
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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.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 340IU | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 0.4mg
