Description
Creamy Polenta with Parmesan Cheese is a comforting and versatile Italian side dish made with coarse cornmeal cooked slowly in water and milk until thick and fluffy, then enriched with butter and Parmesan cheese. It serves as a perfect accompaniment to roasted meats, vegetables, or can be transformed into crispy polenta cakes for a delightful twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid Base
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Polenta
- 1 cup coarse or medium-grind cornmeal
Finishing Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Boil Liquids: Bring the water and milk to a boil in a heavy-duty saucepan or small Dutch oven. Stir in the kosher salt to season the cooking liquid.
- Add Polenta: Gradually sprinkle the cornmeal into the boiling liquid while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Simmer Polenta: Reduce heat to very low and cover the pan. Let the polenta cook gently, stirring every 10 minutes, for 35 minutes until it is thick, fluffy, and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Finish Polenta: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butter and grated Parmesan cheese until melted and combined. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve: Serve the creamy polenta warm, garnished with chopped rosemary or parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- To make polenta cakes, use 3 ½ cups of liquid for a thicker polenta, pour into a baking dish to cool and solidify, then slice and pan-fry in olive oil until golden and crispy on both sides.
- Substitute some or all of the water with stock or broth for richer flavor.
- You can replace milk with water, stock, or unsweetened plant-based milks depending on dietary preferences or availability.
- If using table salt instead of kosher salt, reduce the salt amount by half due to the finer granules and higher sodium content.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 240 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
