Ligurian Baked Polenta

January 21, 2010 · 18 comments ·

I’ve always found polenta to be a lot of work, easy to burn, and not really worth the effort and risk. Then I read a simple baked polenta recipe from Liguria in Essentials of Italian Cooking and gave it a try. The result was creamy goodness with almost no effort, a definite winning combination!

The essential information is the ratio of 3:2:1 for water, milk, and polenta, by volume rather than weight. You’ll need about ¼ cup of polenta for each generous portion, so for four servings you’ll need 3 cups of water, 2 cups of whole milk, and 1 cup of polenta. Mix those ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish and bake at 375°F (190°C) for one hour.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Stir in two tablespoons or so of unsalted butter and a generous amount of crumbled or grated cheese–gorgonzola and parmigiano reggiano are recommended. Taste and add some salt if needed, then return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheeses and meld the flavors.

Serve as-is or with marinara sauce or your favorite polenta topping. I’m not sure whether you can use the left-overs for frying or grilling because I have yet to have left-overs!

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  • http://goodcleaneating.blogspot.com Emily

    Oh my! How delicious does this look? Thanks so much for sharing!

  • http://www.ourwholesomehomes.com Dimitry

    This is an interesting and delicious looking recipe. We usually cook it on a stove in a cast iron pot, we have a traditional dish called Mamaliga in Ukraine it’s different than Italian style polenta, next time I will try your recipe, thank you for sharing.

  • http://fivestarfoodie.com Natasha – 5 Star Foodie

    This polenta looks terrific!

  • http://www.lizonfood.com Liz Marr, MS, RD

    I love polenta, but you’re right – it can certainly be cantankerous. Any and all tips are appreciated! Thanks for sharing yours.

  • http://sticksforksfingers.blogspoy.com Pam Frank

    Brilliant. I look forward to trying this, perhaps with lamb shanks osso bucco style this weekend!

    My best, Pam

  • http://www.everydyafoodie.ca Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca

    I still haven’t tried polenta! I know, I live in a box.

  • http://laptopsandstovetops.blogspot.com Rachel J

    I am new polenta and with having my wisdom teeth out just yesterday, I am searching out great soft foods. I really like this dish and I hope I’m out to making it post-op. Cheers!

  • http://journeyofanitaliancook.blogspot.com Claudia

    Never thought about the ratios. We eat polenta more and more here. This looks delicious and easy.

  • http://lisaiscooking.blogspot.com lisaiscooking

    This sounds incredible! I can understand why there are never any leftovers. I’m going to have to try this soon.

  • http://foodandfondmemories.blogspot.com sandy axelrod

    I love your blog and your instructions using classic technique. Once someone has mastered these they can cook anything!

  • Carrie

    Excellent! I’m a sucker for all things corn meal. I’m feeling braised short ribs and this polenta for Sunday dinner this week. Thanks for the recipe!

  • http://www.woodfiredkitchen.com Sortachef

    Thanks for another nice recipe, Gareth. I’ll give it a shot, even though in the past polenta has caused me grief. The ratio is key. The ratio is key. My new mantra!

  • http://www.stumptownsavoury.com/2010/01/26/pollo-alla-cacciatora/ Pollo alla Cacciatora

    [...] that plate with polenta around and you’ll find pollo alla cacciatora, or chicken cacciatore. It’s really a [...]

  • http://wanita@ause.com wanita Ause

    If this is the polenta you served in class, it was delicious. I will make it soon.

  • http://stumptownsavoury.com Gareth

    It is. Frankly, it’s the best creamy polenta I’ve ever had.

  • Carrie

    Gareth, I just wanted to tell you I made this polenta last night, and it was soooooooo good. I used corn meal instead of polenta which messed with the ratio I think. I’ll reduce the liquid a little next time. But the taste was fabulous.

    This morning I sliced the refrigerated leftovers and sauteed them in a lightly oiled pan. A little messy since the polenta wasn’t as thick as it could have been, but the taste was amazing. The parmesan cheese gave the crust a delicious crunchy cheese-straw like flavor.

    A new regular in my recipe rotation!! Thanks again!

  • http://stumptownsavoury.com Gareth

    Thank you! I’m glad it turned out well for you and really appreciate hearing about how the leftover polenta hardened enough to fry. I assumed it would but hadn’t had the chance to test it myself.

  • http://www.mudpiesandfroggytales.com Candice

    I love polenta because it has always been so quick and easy, but you do have to watch it closely! You might also like trying 3 cups water with chicken boullion in it, bring to boil, add 1 cup chopped chard or kale and 1 TBS olive oil, cook for a few minutes until soft, then add 1 cup polenta stir freq & well, spoon into pie dish and dizzle lighly with olive oil. Yum! The chicken stock gives it great flavor.