Our Homemade Polenta Recipe

Polenta and Gnocchi are the most popular staples in the mountain regions of the Veneto and much of northern Italy. From Turin to Trieste folks LOVE their polenta!

Our house is in Piovene Rocchette, in the heart of Veneto Italy, and here polenta is even eaten for breakfast, served in a bowl of hot milk. It might sound a little weird but it's hands-down better than cornflakes for breakfast. Try it and then tell me you don't agree!

This polenta dish is 100% traditional.

Ingredients

1 and a half liters of water (3 US pints)

500 gr (17.5 ounces) of ground yellow Indian corn

a pinch of salt to taste.

Cooking Instructions

• Boil some lightly salted water

• Drop the corn meal into the water while mixing continually with a wooden spoon (it really must be a wooden spoon as a metal one changes everything).

• Cook the polenta for around forty minutes or until it comes away from the sides. An egg can be added to add richness to the final dish. I personally like it with the egg added but try it both ways to see which you prefer.

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot as an appetizer or as a side to a roast. Even include it as part of a salad like in the photo.

To make it even more delicious the hot polenta is often covered with a variety of local strong tasting cheeses. I enjoy it with melted Gorgonzola cheese.

Like I mentioned at the top of the page you can let the polenta cool and cut into slices. You can then serve the slices with hot milk for breakfast.

When I was a child I used to have this every morning - this was my version of morning cornflakes. I loved it and to be honest I still do.

I hope you enjoy your polenta and if you would like another great polenta recipe, or any other recipe please, feel free to contact me.

Maria