Winter is in the air in Italy and if there is one food to celebrate this season is Polenta! 

Polenta is a traditional Italian dish that has been a staple in Italian cuisine for centuries. It is made from coarsely ground cornmeal, and it can be cooked to various consistencies, ranging from a soft, creamy texture to a more solid and sliceable form.

Polenta for me is a festive dish, so it is perfect to make around the holidays for the whole family.

I love to personalize it with different toppings and ingredients to make it more rich and tasty so… let’s make it together for Thanksgiving!


Ingredients for 4:

1 cup Cornmeal
3 cups cold Water
Coarse Salt to taste
5 tablespoons Olive Oil

Toppings: 
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Grated Mozzarella to taste
6 button Mushrooms
Parsley to taste
Garlic
Oil to taste
Salt to taste
2 Red Peppers
Sweet Gorgonzola


Pour the water into a large pan, add salt and olive oil and slowly add the flour, mix and turn on the stove*.

Keep stirring without stopping so the polenta does not stick to the bottom of the pan. It's ready when the consistency is smooth and no longer grainy!

While still hot, pour the polenta into a baking dish, and sprinkle with grated parmesan and mozzarella. 

 

* The secret to not creating lumps is to pour the flour into cold water and warm the mixture slowly.

I then added 3 different toppings: 

Mushrooms: I browned the mushrooms with oil, garlic, parsley and salt.
Peppers: I Washed, dried and cut into strips the red peppers. I fried the strips in olive oil and finally salted them.
Cheese: For the last topping I simply added some gorgonzola flakes!

Once you have added your toppings, bake at 200 degrees for about half an hour.


It's a real pleasure, ready to enjoy!