Oven-Baked Italian Herb Polenta with Parmesan Crisp

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

Creamy polenta baked with fresh Italian herbs and topped with a golden Parmesan crisp for a comforting side dish. This Italian-inspired quick recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, pairs polenta (coarse cornmeal), water, salt for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 220 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 5 min Cook: 45 min Serves 6 Italian cuisine 220 cal/serving
Build a week of meals around this recipe → Shop this recipe on Instacart → Shop equipment ↓

Ingredients

Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →

Equipment for this recipe

Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.

More Bakeware & baking tools → Shop all kitchen tools →

Instructions

  1. Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water and 1 tsp salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in 1 cup coarse polenta, reducing heat to low.
  2. Step 2: Cook the polenta, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 20-25 minutes until thickened and creamy.
  3. Step 3: Remove from heat and stir in 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, and 1/2 tsp black pepper until combined.
  4. Step 4: Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer polenta to a greased 8x8-inch baking dish, smoothing the top evenly.
  5. Step 5: Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the polenta and bake for 20 minutes until a golden Parmesan crust forms on top. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Related recipes