Polenta Recipes

Most People Think Of Pasta As The Quintessential Italian Dish, and this is true for much of the Peninsula, especially the south. Polenta, on the other hand, was the staple food of the poor in the North, especially those living out in the country. And it's still a staple today, North Italians still eat it today, because it' very tasty, extremely...

Rachel Edelman adds a couple of steps I hadn't thought of to making polenta -- she moistens the cornmeal, to reduce the formation of lumps, and turns it out into a bowl to shape it before serving it. The results will be good.

Polenta and cheese are a wonderful combination, and if you work in wild mushrooms, the resulting polenta casserole becomes downright heavenly. I wouldn't do this with champignons, because they aren't flavorful enough. Rather a mixture of mushrooms, for example chanterelles, cremini, and portabella mushrooms.

Dried Fava beans are a winter staple in Puglia. In the past, plain fava bean puree would have been the simplest of peasant foods. Now, it will be a pleasant frugal first course, and could also work as a side dish with a stew.

Though Italians generally associate cavolo nero with Tuscany, it's grown throughout the land, and this recipe is from the Valle d'Aosta. It's generally served as a one-course meal.

Savoy Cabbage with Sausages, or Verze e Luganega, is a classic north Italian winter dish, and though one might class it as a vegetable, it is actually a superb accompaniment to polenta. You'll find variations on this dish throughout the north; this particular interpretation is from the Veneto. Regular mild link sausages will work fine if you don't have Luganega sausage.

Polenta and Herring, or Polenta e Scopeton: Polenta with a little fish was one of the mainstays of the diet of the poor in northern Italy; I have talked to Piemontesi who remember their parents hanging a salted anchovy over the table when they were little, and using it to season firm polenta by rubbing the slices against the anchovy. Gently, to make the anchovy last for more than one meal. In the Vicentino, on the other hand, they used salted or smoked herring, and chopped it up.

The pasta of the North and then some, it's amazingly versatile, and perfect for important occasions or every day meals.

Classic Ligurian frugal peasant food, a polenta made from chickpea flour that will make a satisfying, simple meal.

A Gibraltarian variation on Panissa that was likely brought by Ligurian sailors.

A tasty recipe from Sturat Borken.

White polenta is delicately flavored and thus a perfect foil for fish. In this case tasty stewed Moscardini, a smaller kind of octopus.

A hearty, rustic Sardinian polenta dishe with cheese and tomato sauce; combined with a tossed salad it will be a perfect meal.

These are a refreshing change from regular gnocci, and will be an excellent wintery first course, or go well with a roast.

Tasty polenta fritters filled with prosciutto and cheese. The perfect tidbit!

A zesty baked polenta with anchovies that's very refreshing in summer.

A rich baked polenta with cheese that will help keep the chill of winter at bay.

Baked polenta with sausages, a tasty alternative for a quick luncheon, or a simple dinner.

An extraordinarily rich baked polenta, a perfect centerpiece for a festive meal.

A rich, elegant baked polenta dish with meat and mushrooms to keep winter at bay.

Elegant braised beef with polenta as a side dish.

Polenta with stewed rabbit, an extremely tasty one-course meal.

Wild boar (or other game) marinated and stewed with the marinade, will work beautifully with polenta.

A hearty polenta dish that's perfect in winter.

Polenta, seasoned with lemon zest, sugar, and fried: a traditional snack or breakfast in Mantova.

Polenta with beans, a tasty antipasto, or a nice accompaniment to a roast or stew.

Polenta and the birds that got away -- a stew for when the hunters come up empty.

Snails and polenta, rustic fare for a Friday meal up in the mountains where there wasn't any fish. And instructions on preparing snails.

In parts of the Veneto region these cookies are made with a polenta-based dough.

Thinly layered polenta with a hearty mix of veggies between the layers. Looks quite nice, from Ditty's Sunday Supper.

Simms Brannon's presentation of a dish "suitable for vegetarians but hearty enough for the biggest eaters." A a masterpiece of a dish, delightfully described.

Though Italians generally associate cavolo nero with Tuscany, it's grown throughout the land, and this recipe is from the Valle d'Aosta. It's generally served as a one-course meal.