True story—I never had polenta growing up, and didn’t realize what I was missing out on until my sister made me baked polenta when I ate dinner at her house one night many years ago. Since then, I have pretty much discovered that I am happy to eat it anyway it is made—creamy, baked, crisped, fried.
This is a creamy and indulgent version, and perfect for a side dish served with some vegetables and a protein. If you substitute coarse polenta for instant polenta, just cook according to package instructions and then add in the additional ingredients once cooked.
Creamy Brown Butter Polenta
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 6-8 side servings
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1¾ cups coarse polenta (not instant)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 tablespoons brown butter (click here for instructions)
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
- ¼ pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
- In a large, nonstick pot, bring water and salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, constantly whisk water while pouring in polenta in a slow stream. Continue to whisk for 3-4 minutes until polenta starts to thicken a bit.
- Turn heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes, until polenta is creamy and soft (individual grains should have some texture but will be tender).
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and browned butter. Season with freshly ground pepper. Pour into a serving dish or individual bowls.
- Roughly chop sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts together. Spoon on top of polenta and serve.
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