Polenta alla Fontina
Polenta with melted Fontina
Ingredients
- 200 g Polenta
- 150 g Fontina
- 40 g Butter
- 40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1000 ml Vegetable stock
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Bring the stock to a simmer in a heavy pot, then pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Season with salt.
- Cook on low, stirring often, until thick and smooth.
- Off the heat, beat in the butter, fontina, and parmigiano until molten and glossy.
- Spoon into bowls and serve at once.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Polenta alla Fontina
Polenta alla Fontina is a mountain dish from Italy's Alpine north, where cornmeal and rich cow's-milk cheeses are staples of the cold-weather kitchen. It marries slow-cooked polenta with Fontina, the semi-soft Valle d'Aosta cheese prized for melting into long, molten strands, plus butter and a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano for savory depth. The dish sits somewhere between a porridge and a fonduta, the northern Italian cousin of fondue.
Getting it right is mostly about technique: the polenta is streamed into simmering stock while whisking so it stays lump-free, then cooked low and stirred until thick and smooth before the cheeses are beaten in off the heat so they turn glossy rather than greasy. The result is deeply comforting, creamy and stretchy with a subtle nuttiness from the Parmigiano. It is best eaten the moment it is spooned into bowls, while the cheese is still molten, as a warming vegetarian main on a cold night, perhaps with a sharp salad or braised greens alongside.
Polenta alla Fontina: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Polenta alla Fontina?
A serving has about 450 calories — 17.9g protein, 41.7g carbs, 24.2g fat, 3.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Polenta alla Fontina gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Polenta alla Fontina has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Polenta alla Fontina dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Fontina, Butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How many servings does Polenta alla Fontina make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.