What Is Polenta and How Can I Use It?
Wondering what to do with polenta? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it — with 30 recipes to put it to work.
What is polenta?
Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed from Italian.
Polenta is made with ground yellow or white ** cornmeal** (ground maize) originally made with Chestnut meal in ancient times. It can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired.
Cooked polenta can also be shaped into balls, patties, or sticks and fried in oil until it is golden brown and crispy; this variety of polenta is called crostini di polenta or polenta fritta. This type of polenta became particularly popular in Southern Brazil as a consequence of Northern Italian immigration. Similarly, once formed into a shape it can also be grilled using, for example, a brustolina grill.
Where found
Polenta is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
| In Chinese: | 玉米粥 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | polenta | |
| en español: | polenta |
Recipes using polenta
There are 30 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Golden Polenta & Egg with Mustard Sauce
Crispy polenta is served with tender green beans, a soft-boiled egg, and a tangy yogurt mustard sauce. An easy yet sophisticated gluten-free breakfast to impress.
Osso Buco Chicken Thighs
Rich in flavor - low in cost. Money saving chicken thighs replace the expensive traditional veal in this rendition of an Italian classic.
Polenta with Pumpkin & Kale
This turned out great. Much lighter tasting than a traditional heavy lasagna but very much like a lasagna without the fat and carbs from the pasta. I found a single serving more than filled me up. Like a no-guilt lasagna.
Pizzettas
Individual rosemary-polenta pizzettas made with a food-processor dough blending white, whole wheat, and cornmeal flours. Rustic party-size bases for personalized Italian toppings.
Double-Boiler Polenta with Gorgonzola
Silky double-boiler polenta topped with a melting slice of tangy Gorgonzola and a swirl of butter. This elegant Italian side dish is simple enough for weeknights yet impressive enough for dinner parties.
Cajun 3-Pepper Bread
A crusty Cajun yeast bread loaded with three kinds of pepper: black, cayenne, and hot sauce. Polenta adds grit and crunch while garlic and parsley bring herby depth. Baked with steam like French bread.
Quick Polenta
A quick and delicious polenta recipe that's very easy to make and tastes great the next day! Best served with a bit of parmesan cheese.
Polenta & Lemon Aspen Cake with Sugar Bag & Wild Rosella Cream
Cake made from Polenta and Lemon Aspen and served with cream, riberries and rosella confit.
Polenta Cake with Orange Blossom Yogurt, Berries, & Pistachios
Grilled polenta cake with orange blossom yogurt, fresh strawberries, and pistachios. A sophisticated Middle Eastern-inspired dessert built from pantry staples and summer fruit.
Polenta & Tomato Sauce
Broiled polenta squares topped with a quick fresh tomato and garlic sauce with parsley. A simple Italian vegetarian appetizer or snack with crisp edges and a soft, creamy center.
Polenta Pizza (Opt. Lacto)
Polenta pizza with a crispy cornmeal crust topped with spaghetti sauce, fresh vegetables, and optional mozzarella. A gluten-free, vegetarian pizza alternative ready in 25 minutes.
Polenta with Chipotles & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Broiled polenta shapes with reconstituted chipotle peppers and sun-dried tomatoes folded in. Smoky, savory cornmeal cut-outs that crisp up under the broiler for an elegant appetizer or side.
Creamy Polenta with Butter & Cheese
Traditional slow-cooked polenta finished with butter and Parmesan cheese. Stirred low and slow for up to 45 minutes until thick, creamy, and impossibly smooth.
Neapolitan Polenta Pie
Polenta pie with a cornmeal crust, pizza sauce, porcini mushrooms, and homemade yogurt cheese topped with capers and parmesan. A low-fat vegetarian take on deep-dish pizza.
Polenta Toscana
Polenta Toscana with rosemary and toasted walnuts sauteed in olive oil, stirred into creamy polenta. Serve it soft or cool it and slice into crostini. A simple Tuscan vegetarian side or appetizer.
Polenta Pasticciata - Polenta Lasagne
Polenta pasticciata layers firm cooled polenta squares with porcini-spiked beef ragù, plum tomatoes, and grated pecorino into a rustic Northern Italian bake. Lasagne, but with cornmeal instead of pasta.
Onion Polenta & Gorgonzola Pizza
Onion polenta and gorgonzola pizza uses firm polenta as a gluten-free pizza crust topped with soft-cooked onions, thyme, and crumbled gorgonzola. Simple vegetarian comfort food.
Spiced Shrimp with Broilered Polenta (New Year's Eve)
Spiced shrimp with broiled polenta stacks lemon-sage shrimp onto crisp-broiled polenta rounds, finished with crumbled prosciutto. An elegant, quick New Year's Eve appetizer or small-plate main.
Polenta Al Radicchio Ai Ferri
Grilled polenta topped with charred radicchio, olive oil, and a drizzle of vinegar. A rustic Italian antipasto where crispy-edged polenta meets the bitter smoky bite of grilled chicory.
Polenta with Tomatoes & Olives
Pan-fried polenta wedges with briny olives and a slow-simmered garlic tomato sauce. A rustic Italian dish that turns simple cornmeal into a crisp golden base for a fragrant herbed sauce.
Braised Chicken in a Sweet Corn & Polenta Broth
Chicken marinated in Australian native spices and olive oil, in a sweet corn and polenta broth.
Mexican Tortillas
Homemade Mexican corn tortillas with maize meal, white flour, and lard, kneaded, rested, rolled thin, and dry-fried on a griddle. A versatile flatbread for tacos, enchiladas, or scooping.
Creamy Polenta with Warm Tomato Compote
Roasted cherry tomato compote over milky Parmesan polenta. Caramelized shallots and white wine turn simple tomatoes into something extraordinary. Low-fat, vegetarian, and full of flavor.
Polenta Crostini with Mushrooms
Polenta crostini topped with a savory porcini and cremini mushroom sauce. Crisp broiled polenta rounds stand in for bread, making this Italian appetizer naturally gluten-free.
New Year's Eve Polenta Squares with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
New Year's Eve polenta squares crisp tube polenta under the broiler, then top each bite with a tangy sun-dried tomato, caper, and parsley pesto. A make-ahead cocktail-party appetizer that feeds a crowd.
