Creamy Italian Polenta Recipe
Updated Jun 30, 2025, Published Sep 27, 2022
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This Italian Polenta Recipe goes together with just 5 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to prepare. The creamy polenta is comforting, smooth, and sensational, making it the perfect side to any meal.
Try it as a side dish with pan seared shrimp and crispy Brussels sprouts.
This is the authentic Italian way we make homemade polenta in northern Italy. It is simple and rustic, and I know you will love it too! It’s by far the best easy, fool-proof cornmeal polenta recipe you can make!
For more ways to enjoy polenta, try this polenta with mushrooms for a meal that’s ready in under 30 minutes, or meatballs with polenta and sauce, when you’re in the mood for something other than pasta.
“Best polenta I ever had. So creamy and rich in flavour. I’ll never go back to my old recipe!!!”
– Noémi
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
This polenta recipe is made with simple ingredients and comes together in little time.
- Polenta: I like the instant or fine ground polenta or cornmeal variety for the super smooth result it provides. Some recipes say to buy the course ground and use a food processor to make it finer. I’d rather save my time and there actually isn’t much of a price difference. You can now find polenta at almost any grocery store or buy them online. I find the polenta by Bob’s Red Mill easy to find in stores but you can also order polenta by Colavita, Roland from Italy, or DeLallo online.
- Flavor Components: Extra-virgin olive oil or butter adds a bit of richness to the polenta and the cheese some nutty, salty flavors. The heavy cream or whole give it the signature creamy texture.
See the recipe card for the full list with quantities.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy: For spicy flavors, like in this nduja pasta sauce, add some red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch or some freshly ground black pepper.
- Herbs: Sprinkle oregano into the polenta during the final steps.
- Cheese: Use different varieties of cheese that melt well and add flavor.
- Onions and Garlic: Sauté some onion and garlic in the pan with olive oil before making the polenta. If you love lots of garlic, try this garlic and olive oil pasta next!
- Chicken stock or chicken broth: For added flavor you can use vegetable or chicken stock in place of the water.
- Lighter Version: Wse whole milk instead of cream to cut a few calories.
- Dairy-free: Use olive oil instead of butter or use a vegan butter alternative, swap the cream for a dairy-free milk alternative or coconut cream, and skip the cheese or use a dairy-free option.
How To Make Creamy Polenta
Making authentic Italian polenta is easier than you think with this easy method. It requires a few steps and provides the best results for creamy polenta!
- Bring the water with salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the polenta.
- Stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Turn it down to low heat and keep stirring the thickened polenta for another minute or two.
- Remove from the heat and add the oil, parmigiano, and heavy cream.
- Stir into the polenta until everything is combined and your polenta has a creamy texture.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you stir constantly. Constant stirring is important so the polenta doesn’t clump. In Italy polenta is stirred with a handmade custom wooden spoon.
- Salt is key. Like cooking pasta perfectly, you wan to make sure you use salted water to flavor the polenta. Use less salt if using chicken or veggie stock which is likely already salted.
- Make sure to grate your own cheese. Grating cheese from the block is essential for the best flavor and texture. Feel free to add extra cheese on top!
- Serving tip: Polenta can dry out quickly and even become hard. Make sure to serve polenta hot and keep it covered. You can always reheat and add a little more liquid to make the soft polenta again.
Italian Polenta Recipe FAQs
Polenta is a popular Italian dish in the north of Italy made of ground corn. Freshly cooked, polenta is soft and creamy, like a savory porridge, and makes a terrific bed for sauces. Polenta, a staple in Italian cuisine, is best compared to mashed potatoes in American cuisine. Every family has a way to make their own in a variety of ways, from soft creamy polenta like this recipe, or even fried up and served as a cake.
Lumps will make or break your polenta. The best way to make sure you have a very creamy texture is the constant stirring. This prevents any lumps from forming. Adding heavy cream and cheese towards the end of cooking also makes it even creamier while adding flavor.
Polenta makes a tasty side dish paired with a variety of dishes. Try it with a Italian Beef Short Rib Ragu, Italian sausage and pepper, Italian Braciole, or a Classic Italian Ragu.
Super creamy polenta uses a ratio of 4:1 liquid to cornmeal. The more traditional polenta version uses 3:1 liquid to cornmeal. You can also do it somewhere in between. You really can’t go wrong.
Serving Suggestions
There are many different ways to enjoy Italian polenta. Sometimes, I eat a big bowl with plenty of butter and parmesan cheese or just salt and pepper on top and it is so comforting.
Creamy polenta also works as a side dish for meaty dishes like osso buco and my Nonna’s famous traditional Italian meatballs. For meatless meals, I like to pair it with ratatouille or baked zucchini with bruschetta. It also makes a tasty side served with seared scallops in lemon butter or red wine braised chicken.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftovers: Store cooked polenta in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. After the polenta cools cover it with plastic wrap until ready to transfer to storage containers.
- Reheating: To reheat leftover polenta simply add the desired amount of polenta back into a medium-sized pot over low heat and add in about a 1/2 cup of warm chicken or vegetable stock. You may need more chicken stock to turn it back into a creamy and perfect consistency.
- Repurposing Idea: You can also use leftover polenta to make baked polenta fries!
More Authentic Italian Side Dish Recipes
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Easy Italian Polenta Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces quick cooking polenta, 1 pound, (if you use coarse ground adjust liquid)
- 6 cups boiling water
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or butter
- ½ cup parmigiano cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream, or whole milk
Instructions
- Boil water with salt in a medium-large pot. Add polenta and stir vigorously. Stir on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Turn to low heat and keep stirring for another minute or two.
- Take off the heat and add olive oil or butter, parmigiano, and heavy cream. Stir until combined and creamy texture.
- Sprinkle with extra cheese and enjoy plain or as a side dish.
Notes
- Stir constantly to prevent clumps—this is key! In Italy, polenta is traditionally stirred with a handmade wooden spoon.
- Like pasta, flavor starts with salted water. If using salted broth, reduce added salt.
- Grate your own cheese for the best flavor and melt. Add extra on top if you like!
- Polenta dries out fast, so serve it hot and keep it covered. To reheat, just add a splash of liquid and stir to bring back the creamy texture.
- Feel free to add in herbs, a bit of crushed red pepper, or change up the type of cheese for a different flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
how would I make a smaller batch of this recipe?
You can do half of all the ingredients to make half and use the same method. That will work great!
So easy to make and delicious! Didn’t realize it made so many servings until afterward I made it for just me and my husband but good to know going forward if I am serving a lot of people!
Yes, it’s great for polenta fries too!
This creamy polenta always hits the spot for comfort!
This is the most basic and easy polenta recipe. A favorite vehicle for many toppings.
Best polenta I ever had. So creamy and rich in flavour. I’ll never go back to my old recipe!!!
So happy you loved it! It is a delicious recipe that you can serve in so many ways.
So happy you loved it!
Can’t wait to try this! We’re having a girl’s weekend and this is on tbe menu!
I can’t wait to see how you serve it and love it!