• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Go Cook Yummy
  • Air Fryer
  • Browse Recipes
    • Easy Dinners
    • Traybakes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Baking
    • Sauces
    • Collections
  • Cooking Tips

Home » Dinner » What Is Polenta? And How to Make It?

What Is Polenta? And How to Make It?

By Victoria · On: Dec 03, 20 · Last Modified: Nov 25, 22

36 shares

Today I’m going to share with you how to make a traditional Italian Polenta. This is a very simple, delicious, and versatile dish. You can combine the polenta with almost everything. For those who are not familiar with Italian polenta, it is a porridge made from cornmeal. It is also called the sun from the plate.

Jump to Recipe • Print Recipe
Creamy Polenta with Parmesan in a dark plate on a marble table.
In This Post: show
1 📖 What is Polenta?
2 🥘 Needed Ingredients:
3 Polenta to Water Ratio
4 👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions:
5 🍽️ Serving Ideas:
6 ♻️ What to Do With Leftovers?
7 🤔 Answering Your Questions:
8 📋 Recipe Card:

📖 What is Polenta?

Polenta is a cornmeal mush made from cornmeal, water, and salt. It has its origins in the North of Italy. Back in the day, polenta was associated with lower classes as it is cheap to make because you will need only a few cheap ingredients for it. However, nowadays, you will find polenta in one of the best restaurants in the world.

As this is an ancient dish, you will find it in a lot of countries around the globe with different names and variations.

Let me share with you just a few of them:
In some regions of the United States, you will find Polenta as “Cornmeal mush”. In Serbia and Bulgaria, it is called “Kačamak”. In Montenegro is called “Pura”. In Macedonia, you will find it under the name of Bakrdan. In Hungary is called “Puliszka”. In Romania and the Republic of Moldova, it is named “Mamaliga” (mama-LEE-gah).

And this is only a small part of this cornmeal porridge.

Back in the day, Polenta has actually used as a peasant’s food. It was often used as a substitute for bread, but nowadays even if it’s cooked from simple and cheap ingredients, it is used largely in many fancy restaurants.

Due to its fine taste, it allows you to make very interesting combinations with other ingredients.

Best Recipes to Try in The Air Fryer:

  • BBQ Chicken Breast
  • Fried Eggs in Air Fryer
  • Air Fryer Yogurt Cake
  • Stuffed Mushrooms

Polenta is extremely easy and cheap to make if we’re referring to the original recipe using only water, salt, and cornmeal. Today, we will level up the polenta and will make it creamier by adding shredded parmesan and butter. Additionally, you can replace the water with milk.

The best part about Italian polenta is that you don’t have to be an advanced cook to make a perfect creamy polenta.

As I said earlier, polenta is a versatile dish, and it can be cooked in a lot of variations.

If you want to make it grainy, then leave the cornmeal as it is. If you want it to be more smooth and creamy, then grind the cornmeal until it will obtain corn flour. (Check our article for the best cornmeal substitutes.)

Also, instead of water, you can boil the cornmeal into the milk for extra flavor. You can add butter, different cheeses, sour cream, different aromatic herbs, and so on.

You can eat it as is, served with some caramelized onions on top of the polenta. You can serve it near a vegetable stew (check our delicious Peperonata recipe), or as my favorite, serve the polenta near a stew of chicken wings.

Do You Love Your Air Fryer?

Level up your experience even more with these air fryer accessories!

Polenta also can be used as a quick and delicious snack.

For that, make the polenta a little denser (just add less water or more cornmeal). After that, pour it into a square pan, and let it cool down. After the polenta will cool down, it will harden and the cutting process will be a lot easier.

After that cut the polenta into slices like for french fries, and fry them a little on the tray.

I’m sure that you will get in love with that crunchy texture. You will get something between the french fries and Mexican tortilla chips. Yummy!

Just experiment with polenta to find out your favorite combination.

Continue reading if you want to make this wonderful polenta. And don’t forget to share the recipe with your friends.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan in a green plate on a rich blue background.

🥘 Needed Ingredients:

  • Cornmeal
  • Milk or Water
  • Butter or Olive Oil
  • Parmesan
  • Salt

Polenta to Water Ratio

I usually use the proportion of ¼ of cornmeal to water. That means if you will go with 1 cup of cornmeal, then, you will need 4 cups of water or milk.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions:

Take a pan that is deep enough and with a thick bottom to avoid burning the polenta. I used a non-stick pan to avoid that as much as possible. Pour the water into the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately, still in cold water, pour cornmeal and mix well.

Pouring cornflour in a black pan with hot water.

Immediately after that, add salt. Keep mixing until the water starts to boil. Thus, you will avoid the formation of lumps and you will get a creamy and uniform polenta. When the water starts to boil, you will notice that the contents of the pan will start to thicken. At this point, set the fire to a minimum.

Adding a teaspoon of salt to the creamy corn polenta.

After that, add butter or olive oil.

Quick note: By using olive oil, you will get a slightly spicier taste. If you use butter, you will get a creamier taste. It depends on the result you want to achieve in the end.

Pouring olive oil in a table spoon over the creamy polenta.

Mix well.

Mixing with a spoon a creamy polenta in a dark pan on the stove

Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes.

Creamy Polenta on the stove in a dark pan

In the end, add parmesan or other types of cheese that you prefer. You will obtain an interesting taste if you will use blue cheese. Also, keep in mind what you want to serve this polenta with and match the tastes.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan on the stove in a dark pan

Mix well and serve while the polenta is still hot. If you let it cool, the polenta will harden and take the shape of a pan.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan on the stove in a dark pan

Enjoy your meal.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan in a green plate on a white marble table.

🍽️ Serving Ideas:

Liver and Onions in Slow Cooker

Delicious liver and onions cooked in a slow cooker. You will need livers, a few onions, butter, spices, and brandy to remove their smell. You should give it a try!
Check the Recipe
Close look of liver and onions in a dark plate.

Best Polish Goulash (Pork Stew)

Find how to make an authentic polish goulash with pork meat. This Pork Stew is packed full of flavors and it is very easy to make. All you will need is pork meat, carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and a few spices.
Check the Recipe
Close view of the best polish goulash in a white plate.

♻️ What to Do With Leftovers?

As the polenta will thicken after it will cool down, you can’t enjoy its creaminess as in the beginning when it was freshly cooked. But this doesn’t mean that you should throw away the leftovers. No, at all. I have a “secret sauce” for you. After the polenta leftovers have cooled down, you can take a knife, and cut it into slices. Then, take a pan, and fry these slices of polenta until they will obtain a nice crispy color. Now you can serve those crispy polenta fries as a delicious snack.

🤔 Answering Your Questions:

Is Polenta Healthy?

If we are referring to the original polenta recipe that was made using only cornmeal, salt, and water, then it is relatively healthy. If we will take into consideration modern recipes where it is added different cheeses, butter, and milk, we will have some more calories that we should take into account.

What Polenta is Made of?

Polenta is a corn porridge made from boiled cornmeal using only salt and water. Usually, it is made from coarsely-ground yellow corn, but you can find recipes using and the finely-grounded yellow or white corn. Additionally, you can add parmesan, and butter and replace the water with milk to make it even creamier.

What Does it Taste Like?

It has a taste of corn porridge but it is a little bit mild. As the polenta has a neutral taste, you can add different spices or other ingredients to make it exactly to your taste. Because of its neutral taste, you can serve it with almost any type of meat or fish.

Difference Between Polenta and Grits?

The main difference between those is that polenta is made from flint corn while grits are made from dent corn. As for the taste, they are almost the same because both are made from corn, the single difference will be the texture. The grits will be creamier in texture.

Does Polenta Thicken as It Cools?

Yes, as polenta cools down, it will become thicker. Because of that, it is recommended to eat while it is still hot.

📋 Recipe Card:

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan in a dark plate on a marble table.

Creamy Polenta Recipe With Parmesan Cheese

Victoria
Authentic Italian creamy polenta made from cornmeal, parmesan cheese, and butter. It is an improved variant of the classic recipe that is using only cornmeal, salt, and water. Our recipe is a lot creamier and more flavorful.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 3 servings
Calories 336 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Cornmeal
  • 4 Cups Water or Milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil
  • ½ cup Parmesan to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste

Instructions

  • We will use the proportion of 1/4. That means if you will go with 1 cup of cornmeal, then, you will need 4 cups of water or milk.
  • Pour the water into the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately, still in cold water, pour cornmeal and mix well.
    1 Cup Cornmeal, 4 Cups Water
  • Add salt. Keep mixing until the water starts to boil. When the water starts to boil, set the fire to a minimum.
    1 teaspoon Salt
  • Add the butter or olive oil.
    2 Tablespoons Butter
  • Mix well.
  • Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes.
  • In the end, add parmesan or other types of cheese that you prefer.
    ½ cup Parmesan
  • Mix well and serve while the polenta is still hot.
  • Enjoy your meal.

Notes

  • For the polenta, use a water ratio of 1 cup of corneal to 4 cups of water or milk.
  • If you want a more flavorful taste, the first step may consider frying a little bit of the cornmeal in a pan for about 5-7 minutes at medium heat (You will smell the fried corn).
  • If you fried the cornmeal in the beginning, then you should use a deep pan to avoid hot splashes. Also, as the corneal will be hot, you will need to use hot water to avoid differences in the temperatures between the cornmeal and water.
  • When you will pour the cornmeal into the pan with water, add it little by little and mix continuously to avoid forming lumps.

Nutrition Estimates

Sodium: 1120mgCalcium: 213mgVitamin A: 363IUSugar: 1gFiber: 5gPotassium: 188mgCholesterol: 31mgCalories: 336kcalTrans Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 8gFat: 15gProtein: 11gCarbohydrates: 39gIron: 2mg
Keyword italian, polenta, recipe, side dish
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you are a visual person, check our web story of how to make in a few simple steps the parmesan polenta. 

We are participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
36 shares
Previous Post: « Easy Marinara Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes
Next Post: Homemade Sicilian Orange Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pooja Mandal

    Dec 10, 20 at 12:36 PM

    This seems like such a simple and delicious recipe. Just a few ingredients and your meal is set. Will definitely be trying it this weekend.

    Reply
  2. Alyssa Hixenbaugh

    Dec 10, 20 at 1:06 PM

    I love how simple yet tasty this recipe is! I’m looking forward to trying it out! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Mihaela | The World is an Oyster

    Dec 11, 20 at 10:59 AM

    I have to admit that I’ve never made a creamy one, but mamaliga is always a must with sarmale:)) I love the idea and will try next!

    Reply
  4. Helena Espindola

    Oct 05, 21 at 11:06 AM

    5 stars
    just made this, turned out so well!!

    Reply
  5. Dora

    May 05, 22 at 7:12 PM

    5 stars
    You nailed it! My polenta was perfection. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Al Morris

    Oct 04, 22 at 8:23 AM

    Hard to go wrong with this recipe and it tastes delicious.

    One thing, though, I think the recipe suggests far too much time on the stove. If the liquid is close to boiling, about 10 minutes should be enough. Low heat because it might send bubbles of the mix skyward otherwise. And keep a lid on it.

    Maybe I’m using a quick cook ploenta.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Happy to Have you there!

Hey, I'm Victoria, the blogger behind the Go Cook Yummy. I'm running this blog with my husband, Alex, where we share our family recipes that actually work. Read more about us...

Recipes to Try:

Close view of stuffed pork chops in air fryer.

Crispy Stuffed Pork Chops in Air Fryer

Close look of diced potatoes with paprika cooked in air fryer.

Homemade Air Fryer Diced Potatoes with Paprika

Eggplant parmesan and melted mozzarella with a tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese

Macro view of chicken patties made in air fryer.

Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Patties

Footer

Follow Us:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

Copyright © 2023 GoCooYummy • Stories • Contact Us • Privacy Policy