This creamy polenta is made from simple ingredients, combining cornmeal, milk, water, grated parmesan, butter, and salt. You can eat polenta in so many ways, and it makes for a great weeknight dinner when you need something filling and hearty. I’ve included some of my favorite toppings in this recipe, including fried sage leaves, Italian-style sausage, and sundried tomatoes. These additions add rich, sweet, and tart notes to every buttery mouthful.

Ingredients You Will Need

To make this polenta with parmesan and toppings, you’ll need to get the following together:

For the Polenta:

Cornmeal – 1 cup medium cornmeal (polenta)
Water – 5 cups water
Milk – 2 cups whole milk
Parmesan – 1 cup grated Parmesan
Butter – 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt – 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (half if using regular salt or more to taste)

Toppings

Sundried Tomatoes – 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
Sausage – 8 oz (225 grams) Italian-style sausages
Sage Leaves – 20 sage leaves
Olive Oil – 1 tbsp olive oil (to fry the sage leaves)

Instructions for the Polenta

Step 1. Add the water, milk, and a pinch of salt to a large pot over medium-high heat and add the cornmeal very slowly while whisking vigorously.

Note: Try to use a pot with a heavier/thicker base to prevent the polenta from burning.

Step 2. Keep cooking the cornmeal over medium-high heat, whisking continuously, until the milk starts simmering and the mixture is thickened, just about 5-7 minutes.

Step 3. Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer the polenta for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Note: When the polenta thickens, it’s easier to stir with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula than with a whisk.

Note: While the polenta is simmering, you can prepare the toppings from steps 5 and 6.

Step 4. Once the polenta is cooked, add butter and parmesan. Stir and take it off the heat. Cover it for a couple minutes then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt to taste. I used 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes (use 1/2 tsp if it’s fine salt) but you should season it to your preference.

When it’s time, spoon the creamy polenta into bowls or deep plates, ready to be served to family or guests.

Instructions for the Toppings

Step 5. To a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot (after about 15-20 seconds) add, the sage leaves and fry for about 45-60 seconds. Transfer the fried sage leaves to a plate (covered with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil).

Step 6. To the same frying pan, over medium heat, add the sausage to the pan and cook for about 8 minutes until the sausage is nicely browned on the outside and cooked on the inside.

Note: You can use either ground sausage or sausage links. If using sausage links, you can remove them from the casings and cook them like ground sausage (which is what I did below) or you can cook them whole (which will take a bit longer, anywhere between 12-18 minutes depending on the sausages).

I added sausage, fried sage leaves, sundried tomatoes, and more parmesan, all to the same dish. These toppings add so much depth and texture to the flavor. The caramelization from the pork, earthy sweetness from the sage, and tang from the parmesan all make the dish extra tasty.

This bowl below was topped with only sage leaves, sundried tomatoes, and a drizzle of heavy cream.

This is a simple, fun, and tasty way to serve polenta. I’d love to know in the comments what you topped it with. Enjoy!

More Serving Suggestions

You could try the polenta with these tender marinated chicken breasts or these kotleti-style chicken meatballs instead of the sausages. The most important thing is to have fun with it.

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