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    Home » Sides » Crispy Pancetta Polenta

    Crispy Pancetta Polenta

    Jan 14, 2020 · by Valentina · 34 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Crispy Pancetta Polenta recipe is a delicious side dish and is perfect to serve with meat and stews. It's incredibly hearty, packed with flavor and it's comforting beyond belief!Creamy Rosemary Polenta with Crispy Pancetta in a red bowl with rosemary sprig on top

    Scented with rosemary and made with Dubliner cheese, Cripsy Pancetta Polenta is absolutely as delicious as it sounds.

    I'm not kidding around here, it's amazing!

    Creamy Rosemary Polenta with Crispy Pancetta in a white bowl with red rim.

    What is polenta?

    • Polenta is made from ground cornmeal (usually coarse).
    • It is an inexpensive, common staple in Italy.
    • A Northern Italian dish, polenta can be extremely versatile, made into sweet or savory dishes.
    • The classic preparation only uses water or stock, butter, salt, and pepper.
    • Polenta is very similar to southern grits, but is typically made with a less starchy (flint) corn from Italy, making it a bit less creamy than grits which uses dent corn.

    Between the warmth of the fresh rosemary and the sweet, nutty Dubliner cheese I used, the flavor profile in this creamy mixture is out of control -- add to that the crispy, salty pancetta, and you might just fall off your chair.

    Crispy Pancetta Polenta in a red-rimmed bowl

    What's in this recipe?

    • chicken stock
    • coarse cornmeal
    • rosemary
    • pancetta
    • half and half
    • Dubliner cheese
    • butter
    • olive oil, salt

    How to make Crispy Pancetta

    • Add thickly cut, diced pancetta to a satué pan with a bit of oil and a finely chopped rosemary.
    • Cook, stirring every so often, until it's golden and crispy. This only takes a few minutes.

    This crispy pancetta is also fabulous added to salads!

    square chunk of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese with a white, ceramic cheese marker in the topAnd how lovely is this cheese marker? You can find them here.

    Can you use another cheese?

    Yes!

    Use your favorite cheese if you prefer. I think Gruyère would also be a lovely choice.

    What to serve with Crispy Pancetta Polenta

    • Braised Brisket Stew
    • Pumpkin Braised Short Ribs
    • Stove-Top Spiced Meatball Stew
    • Lemon Herb Chicken Under a Brick

    A couple more polenta recipes:

    • Savory Polenta Cake with Mushrooms
    • Creamy Gorgonzola Polenta

    This is not a sponsored post. Kerrygold Dubliner is one of my favorite cheeses.

    pancetta polenta in red-rimmed bowl

    Rosemary Polenta with Crispy Pancetta

    Valentina K. Wein
    Crispy Pancetta Polenta recipe is a delicious side dish and is perfect to serve with meat and stews. It's incredibly hearty, packed with flavor and it's comforting beyond belief!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6
    Calories 393 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, divided
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1¾ cups polenta (coarse cornmeal)
    • olive oil for the pan
    • 1 cup thick cut pancetta, cut into a small dice
    • 1 cup half and half
    • 1 cup Dubliner cheese, grated
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium to large saucepan, add the 1½ tablespoons of the rosemary and the salt to the stock, and bring to a boil.
    • Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
    • While the polenta is cooking, very lightly coat the bottom of a small sauté pan with olive oil. Add the pancetta and remaining rosemary, and place the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring every so often, until it's golden and crispy, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
    • When the polenta is ready, turn off the heat and add the half and half, cheese, and butter. Stir to blend.
    • Serve with a generous spoonful of the pancetta on top of each portion.

    Notes

    Calorie count is only an estimate.
    Keywords fall comfort food recipes, great side dishes for meats and stews
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian Jones

      February 05, 2016 at 1:46 am

      I've been working on playing with polenta recently and this looks fantastic and have to give it a go.

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 05, 2016 at 7:22 am

        This is one of my favorite ways to prepare it -- hope you love it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Shelby

      February 05, 2016 at 3:24 am

      What great photos and it looks amazing and sounds so full of flavor! I love cooking with pancetta.

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 05, 2016 at 7:22 am

        Thanks so much, Shelby! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy

      February 05, 2016 at 3:43 am

      Wow! you make polenta looks so darn tasty, I'm drooling over here. Beautiful pictures too btw.

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 05, 2016 at 7:23 am

        Thank you Charla! It is so tasty. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

      February 05, 2016 at 8:50 am

      Epic!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 05, 2016 at 6:29 pm

        Why thank you! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Just Jo

      February 06, 2016 at 4:41 am

      All of these flavours are ones I love so I know I'll love trying this! Looks gorgeous 😀

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 06, 2016 at 1:00 pm

        Thanks so much!

        Reply
    6. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      February 06, 2016 at 6:12 pm

      Your lush recipe has me rethinking my usual polenta as a side dish! I'm dreaming of making enough for leftovers. My lunch would be fabulous!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 06, 2016 at 9:05 pm

        Hope you try this one, Deb. We had it as a main course the other night. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Manju | Cooking Curries

      February 07, 2016 at 11:21 pm

      I love how creamy that looks and I am a sucker for polenta!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 08, 2016 at 2:25 pm

        Thanks so much. Hope you try it! 🙂

        Reply
    8. David

      February 08, 2016 at 8:22 am

      Oh, Wow! This is right down our comfort food alley! I think I will make this during the week - I have all the ingredients (although my cheddar is from Shelburne Farms). Ready to go! xo (I will report back. ?)

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 08, 2016 at 2:25 pm

        Oh it will be superb with that cheese! Enjoy! xo

        Reply
    9. sippitysup

      February 08, 2016 at 6:34 pm

      Dubliner is nice. Sharp enough to scream "look at me", but not a silly cheese in anyway. GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 09, 2016 at 1:41 am

        Love you description of Dubliner. Perfect. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Amanda

      November 11, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      Yum -- I love polenta, and this sounds delicious! I love the rosemary and pancetta additions. Can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 12, 2018 at 7:10 pm

        Hope you do! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Kristina

      November 11, 2018 at 8:34 pm

      These flavors sound so good! I have to make this asap! Cannot wait!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 12, 2018 at 7:11 pm

        Yes, I love these flavors. I do hope you try it. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Shanika

      November 11, 2018 at 9:07 pm

      I love Polenta! It's such a great substitute for grits! This recipe looks so creamy and delicious! Plus, I do LOVE that cheese marker! Genius!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 12, 2018 at 7:16 pm

        Thank you Shanika! Cool marker, right!? 🙂

        Reply
    13. Natalie

      November 11, 2018 at 9:30 pm

      This polenta looks so delicious and comforting! Can't wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 12, 2018 at 7:17 pm

        Thanks, Natalie!

        Reply
    14. John / Kitchen Riffs

      January 15, 2020 at 8:23 am

      I really, really like polenta. Rosemary plays SO well with it, but I haven't tried pancetta. I will, though. 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 19, 2020 at 6:02 pm

        Thanks, John. I hope you try and love it! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    15. 2pots2cook

      January 15, 2020 at 9:15 am

      We love polenta very much and this is on our list definitely dear. Thank you for this inviting idea 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 19, 2020 at 6:02 pm

        Thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    16. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

      January 20, 2020 at 5:52 am

      A big bowl of this and I'm set..nothing else required! This looks super good, Valentina. With the cheese, creamy polenta and pancetta, what's not to love?? Can't wait to try 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 20, 2020 at 6:18 pm

        Thank you! I agree, what's not to love? 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    17. David @ Spiced

      January 21, 2020 at 4:34 am

      I absolutely love Dubliner cheese! (Oh, who am I kidding? I love all cheese!) Taking polenta and adding Dubliner plus crispy pancetta sounds like my definition of the perfect comfort food! It's brutally cold here right now, and some delicious comfort food like this would be quite welcome. 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        January 21, 2020 at 5:23 pm

        I hope it warms you and the family. Bundle up. Thank you, David! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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