ItalianbreakfastlunchdinnerVegetarianPescatarianVeganGluten-freeDairy-freeNo added sugar

Polenta

Name: Polenta
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup cornmeal; 4 cups water; Salt to taste

Polenta is a dish of cooked cornmeal. It is delicious topped with your favorite tomato sauce or with an assortment of grilled vegetables. Chilled, firm polenta may be served cut into triangles alongside chili or other hearty stews. Leftover polenta may be cut into strips or triangles, coated in seasoned bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, and fried in olive oil. Like pasta, the possibilities for this versatile dish are virtually endless, so feel free to experiment with additions and toppings.

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Ingredients

Makes

1 cup cornmeal
4 cups water
Salt to taste

Ingredients for 3 servings (1.1 kg) · the original recipe

Method

1
Standard method: In a heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt.
Stovetop
2
Stirring constantly with a stainless steel whisk, pour the cornmeal into the water in a steady stream.
3
Reduce heat to a slow simmer and keep stirring with the whisk until it starts to boil.
Stovetop
4
Cover and continue to cook, stirring every 2–3 minutes with a wooden spoon, always in the same clockwise direction. The time necessary for the porridge to be correctly cooked and thus well-digestible is 45 minutes. If the porridge gets too thick, add some hot water or skimmed milk to obtain a more creamy porridge. Check frequently to see if more salt is needed.
5
For eating polenta hot from the pan, put a tablespoon of water in a deep ceramic dish and scrape the polenta into it. Serve it with a big wooden spoon.
6
Quick method: Boil the water on the stove, then pour it into a large microwave-safe bowl with the salt.
MicrowaveStovetop
7
Stirring constantly, pour the cornmeal into the water in a steady stream.
8
Cook the polenta in a microwave oven on medium power for 2–5 minutes, or longer for a larger serving. Remove from the microwave and stir vigorously. It will not cook evenly, and this stirring helps prevent lumps.
OvenMicrowave
9
Repeat this process until the polenta is thick, then proceed as above.
10
Really quick method: Boil the water, toss in the salt and cornmeal, and microwave on medium power for 5–8 minutes (depending on quantity).
MicrowaveStovetop
11
Remove from microwave and stir like crazy to smash all of the lumps.
Microwave
12
Repeat if you need to thicken it some more, stir, and blend with the few remaining lumps.

Recipe from Wikibooks Cookbook, written by Wikibooks contributors. Used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; the ingredient list and method on this page are taken from that page and edited (its notes, tips and variations are not reproduced), and are available under the same licence. The macros, equipment tags and scaling are Ma Kitchen’s own and are not the source’s figures. Ma Kitchen is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wikibooks Cookbook. Copied on 2026-11-12.