Polenta con Funghi
This Italian vegetarian builds coarse polenta cornmeal, mixed mushrooms and fresh parsley into a crowd-pleasing meal you can have ready in about 60 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Bring the water to a boil with a generous pinch of salt, then rain in the polenta in a slow stream while whisking constantly to stop lumps forming.
- Lower the heat and cook the polenta for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until it is thick, smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Meanwhile wipe and slice the mushrooms, then heat the olive oil and half the butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat until foaming.
- Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for a few minutes so they brown, then toss in the sliced garlic and thyme and saute until golden and tender, about 8 minutes total.
- Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and stir through the chopped parsley off the heat, keeping a little butter to finish.
- Beat the remaining butter and grated parmesan into the cooked polenta, adjust the salt, and spoon onto plates topped with the garlicky mushrooms and any pan juices.
You'll use: Pan · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
What to serve with Polenta con Funghi
- Spaghetti Bolognese Beef
- Vegan Lasagna Vegan
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Seafood
- Potato Gratin with Chicken Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Polenta con Funghi take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Polenta con Funghi vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Polenta con Funghi is an original Italian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Polenta con funghi.jpg by FakirNL, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.