Herbed Polenta Bowl with Roasted Mushrooms

40 min · 4 servings

The gluten-free comfort dinner: creamy polenta laced with parsley and thyme, topped with deeply roasted mushrooms and a finishing rain of more herbs. Quiet, fortifying, and almost embarrassingly easy.

Ingredients

For the mushrooms:

• 1½ lb mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster), torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
• Salt and pepper

For the polenta:

• 4½ cups water or stock
• 1 cup coarse polenta (not instant)
• 1½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
• Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the mushrooms on a heavy half sheet pan with the olive oil, garlic, thyme sprigs, soy sauce, a generous pinch of salt, and lots of pepper. Spread in a single layer.
2. Roast 22–25 minutes, tossing once at the 15-minute mark, until the edges are deeply browned and the mushrooms have shrunk by half.
3. Meanwhile, bring the water (or stock) and 1½ tsp salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the polenta in a steady stream. Lower to the lowest heat and cook, stirring every few minutes, 30 minutes, until the polenta tastes tender (not gritty) and pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan.
4. Off heat: stir in the butter, parmesan, thyme leaves, and parsley. Season generously.
5. Spoon polenta into shallow bowls, top with a heap of roasted mushrooms and any pan juices, and shower with the extra parsley.

Notes from our kitchen

Coarse polenta only — instant polenta turns gluey and never develops the texture this dish needs. The herb pattern here is straight out of A Field Guide to Thyme (sprigs in the roast, leaves at the end) and A Field Guide to Parsley (in larger amounts than you think).

What to cook with it

Pair with our Rosemary White Bean & Lemon Soup as a first course, or with a simple salad finished with the dressing from Lemon Mint Greek Salad. For more cold-weather comfort built around herbs, see Herbed Mushroom Risotto.

Gear that helps

A heavy half sheet pan is non-negotiable here — thin pans warp at 425°F and the mushrooms steam instead of roasting. A Microplane zester handles the parmesan grating. If you make polenta often, a heavier-bottomed enameled cast iron Dutch oven is the saucepan upgrade that pays off fastest.