If you are a mushroom fan, I have just the thing for you! This recipe for Polenta with Mushrooms and Gremolata makes the mushrooms the star of the show and works well as a main dish or a side. In my mind there is almost no kitchen aroma that beats sautéed mushrooms with wine and butter. It's heavenly! Pair those 'shrooms with some creamy and cheesy polenta and you're going to have some major cozy dinner vibes. Top the whole thing with a fresh and zippy gremolata? Dinner perfection.
Cozy bowls full of hearty ingredients are the best for dinner time. Check out this Garlic Paprika Shrimp Bowls with Chickpeas and Lemon recipe for another delicious option.
Ingredients for Polenta with Mushrooms and Gremolata
This is a simple recipe with few components, so technique and quality ingredients matter. First, find a polenta from a store with high turnover. Buying a dusty bag of polenta off the shelf will get you into trouble; the polenta will go bad and could even taste rancid! Find the freshest mushrooms that have tight caps and look plump and free of bruises. Pick up a bunch of parsley with bright green leaves. Grab a wedge of Parmesan if you can afford it. The green can stuff isn't going to bring you the depth of flavor you want in this dish. Definitely don't used minced garlic from a jar. Pick a wine you can enjoy by the glass right along with the meal. You get the idea here, quality fresh ingredients are going to make a big difference!
Preparation
Start by preparing the polenta. Bring the milk and water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the polenta and stir like mad until the polenta mixture comes to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a bare simmer at this point and cook until it is tender, about 10 more minutes. Keep stirring frequently. Watch out for boiling polenta... this stuff will burn if it flies out of the pot onto your skin. Before serving, add the Parmesan and stir it in to melt it completely. Taste for seasoning and you've got this part locked down.
Start the mushrooms during the 10 minute polenta cooking time. Preheat your skillet well over medium-high heat. Add the oil and coat the pan. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir frequently until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Let them cook a few more minutes to get some golden edges. Once the liquid totally evaporates, add in the wine and cook again until all of the liquid is absorbed. Finish the mushrooms with butter and try not to eat them all directly from the pan.
For the gremolata, start with a clove of garlic and the quarter teaspoon of salt on the cutting board. Mince and smash the garlic with the blade so that you form a smooth paste. This will distribute that garlicky flavor throughout the gremolata and take away the bite of the raw garlic. Add the garlic to a small bowl and then chop the parsley on the same board, picking up any remaining garlic and salt in the process. Add the parsley to the bowl with the garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest. Now you have everything ready for this flavorful dish!
Serving Polenta with Mushrooms and Gremolata
Polenta with Mushrooms and Gremolata works as a main dish in our house. Do the kids eat it? No way. Most of the time the grown ups eat this and the kids get something different. Their loss! This recipe makes a great "date night in" meal for me and my husband if we wait until the kids go to bed for a quiet dinner. If you need a more protein-packed meal, this is a terrific side dish to grilled or broiled steak or chicken. Tis would be a great meal for a fancy dinner with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian guests because I think all parties would feel like they had a special meal.
We usually just spoon a generous amount of the polenta into a bowl, top with the mushrooms, and generously sprinkle the gremolata over the whole bowl. I love to grind some fresh black pepper over the top of everything, it's a great finishing step. Grab your spoon and dig in!
Try it and Share
I hope you try this Polenta with Mushrooms and Gremolata and share the recipe with family or friends. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
If you are a big fan of mushrooms, please try this Meatball Stroganoff! It's creamy and hearty and feeds a crowd.
Recipe
Polenta with Mushrooms and Gremolata
Ingredients
Polenta
- 1½ cups 2% milk
- 2½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 oz. Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)
Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 20-24 oz. mushrooms, (stems removed and cut in 1-inch pieces, button or cremini mushrooms work well)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup white wine (choose a dry white wine)
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
Gremolata
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup parsley (stems and leaves, chopped fine)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
Instructions
- Start with the polenta first. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, salt, and water to a boil over high heat.
- Add in the polenta and stir constantly until the polenta is bubbling vigorously.
- Reduce heat to low and allow the polenta to cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until melted.
- While the polenta is cooking, Saute the mushrooms, olive oil, and garlic together in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Once all of the moisture has evaporated, allow the mushrooms to cook 1-2 minutes more to develop golden color.
- Add in the wine and stir until the wine has evaporated. Stir in the butter and toss to coat the mushrooms.
- On a cutting board, mince the garlic and salt together. Mash the garlic with the sides of the knife occasionally to form a smooth paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl.
- Chop the parsley over the same cutting surface and add to the bowl along with the lemon zest, oil, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Serve the polenta with the mushrooms over the top. Sprinkle with the gremolata.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts caculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Nutrition Facts
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