Inspired by cacio pepe pasta, this one-pot dish gets dinner on the table fast. If you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, just cook the polenta the old-fashioned way.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
3
4
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk polenta and 4 cups water in Instant Pot until combined. Season with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high, whisk again, then seal pressure cooker according to manufacturer’s directions. Cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. When timer goes off, manually release pressure. Carefully open lid and whisk polenta until homogenous and creamy.
Step 2
Whisk butter into polenta, then gradually add 4 oz. Pecorino, whisking until melted. Taste and season with more salt, if needed, and lots of pepper.
Step 3
Transfer polenta to a wide shallow bowl. Top with more cheese and coarsely grind more pepper over.
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Reviews (75)
Back to TopThis recipe is a game changer! Polenta is a relatively healthy starch to add to a meal, but it usually is so much more work than making pasta or rice. For regular weeknight meals, I reduce the butter to 1 tbsp and cut down the cheese. I also like to add a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon and reduce the salt. I also like polenta a little looser than this recipe makes, so I add an extra 1/2 cup of water. Thanks, Carla!
Kevin
Denver, CO
1/13/2024
Based on what other reviewers said I made a few modifications that might be helpful. I've made this a few times and it works well. Rub inner pot very lightly with EVOO to prevent sticking. No need to saute/heat up anything first. I then add the water, polenta, salt, and pepper and whisk to remove lumps. I toss the 3 T of butter on top and seal the lid. 10 minutes pressure and manual release and I'm not militant about immediately releasing. Last step is to stir in the cheese and put the lid back on until serving time. It's so darned easy and works every time.
Linda
Los Gatos, CA
3/13/2023
I'll probably never make polenta on the stovetop again. This is perfect in every way.
Kristen
Columbus, OH
6/25/2022
I read some of the other reviews and decided not to saute. So I just set it to Pressure Cook on High for 9 mins. I had the top set to Seal, but oddly enough, the silver thing-y never popped up, at any point...not during the heating up to Pressure, nor when the Cooking actually began. After cooking for 9 mins, I let it Natural Release for about 9 more mins. I then vented it, removed the cover and whisked the polenta again but could see it needed a bit more time to thicken up. I could also see that, for some reason, a bit of the polenta appeared stuck on the bottom and was a light brown/stuck on color. I put the cover back on and will Warm it for another 10 mins or so. Not sure why the polenta burned a bit, but I guess it's not surprising, as it seemed to take a full 20 minutes or so just to warm up, which seemed like an awfully long time. Also, I DID check and the rubber seal was on perfectly, so that wouldn't be why the pot didn't seem to sufficiently pressurize...
Anonymous
2/4/2022
As someone who's very new to Instant Pot, it would have been helpful to indicate what you mean by 'bring to a simmer'...or exactly how I am to do that? Do I press the Saute button? It's not clear to me...but that's what I'm going to try for now...
Anonymous
2/4/2022
This works perfectly if you use refrigerated water and don’t bring it to a simmer. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with natural release. The 2 times I used room temp water I got a burn notice, but was able to save it by putting it into a stove top pot to finish it off. The instant pot has already soften the polenta enough it didn’t take too long.
Anonymous
1/17/2022
What about asking a larger batch? Would the time change?
Anonymous
Walnut Creek, CA
12/22/2021