Name: Polenta Concia (Polenta Layered with Cheeses and Black Pepper)
Yield: Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ½ pound bitto or fontina cheese; 1⅔ cups (8 ounces) medium-grind cornmeal; 2½ teaspoons coarse sea salt; 2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed with the side of a large knife; Leaves of fresh sage (optional); Substantial gratings of black pepper; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 to 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 6 cups water

Preparation info

Serves
8 to 10
as a first course

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

In Nonna's Kitchen

By Carol Field

Published 1997

About

Polenta is to the arc of land that runs from Friuli through Lombardy and the Veneto what pasta is to Emilia Romagna and what bread is to Tuscany: a delicious base for flavorings that are limited only by the imagination of the cook and the ingredients on hand. Polenta can be seasoned with beans, favas, fish, sausages, cheeses, or meat; it can be compact, high, soft, or dense. Entire cookbooks have been devoted to polenta. Lina Vitali makes polenta co