Creamy Italian Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragu, Thyme and Parmesan

Bring the water (or water and milk) to a boil in a heavy saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream so no lumps form.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup (160g) coarse polenta or cornmeal
• 4 cups (950ml) water or half water, half milk
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tbsp butter, divided
• 1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan, plus shavings to serve
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb (450g) mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster), torn or sliced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more to garnish
• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring the water (or water and milk) to a boil in a heavy saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream so no lumps form.
2. Lower the heat to the gentlest simmer and cook, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon, for 35 to 40 minutes until thick, smooth and no longer gritty. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too stiff.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a wide skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them undisturbed for 3 minutes so they brown rather than steam.
4. Stir, season with salt, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more until deeply golden and the pan is dry. Add the shallot and garlic and cook 2 minutes until soft.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme and cook 1 minute, then pour in the wine. Scrape up the browned bits and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is glossy and clings to the mushrooms. Season with pepper.
6. Finish the polenta by beating in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust salt.
7. Spoon the polenta into warm shallow bowls, top generously with the mushroom ragu, and scatter over Parmesan shavings and thyme leaves.
8. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil. Leftover polenta sets firm and can be sliced and pan-fried the next day.
9. Polenta is the humble cornmeal porridge of northern Italy, especially Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli, where it fed farming families through long winters when wheat was scarce. Paired with foraged autumn mushrooms, it becomes a lunch that is both frugal and deeply luxurious, a reminder that Italian cooking at its best turns a handful of simple ingredients into comfort.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Protein: 13g
• Fat: 19g
• Carbohydrates: 46g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 720mg