Savory Polenta Tart

Name: Savory Polenta Tart
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Bramata corn flour 1 cup; Water 3.3 cups; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to grate to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Porcini mushrooms 9 oz; Champignon mushrooms 3 ½ cups; Luganega sausage 1 lb; Dry white wine 3 ½ tbsp; Butter 3 tbsp; Garlic 1 clove; Thyme 3 sprigs; Rosemary 3 sprigs; Nutmeg to taste; Whole milk 1 ¾ cup; Butter 3 tbsp; Type 00 flour 0.3 cup; Nutmeg to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 50 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Crostata salata di polenta is such a fun twist from Lombardia, totally flipping the script on classic pies. Instead of the usual pastry, it gets this tender, polenta crust tart vibe from creamy, smooth polenta pressed right into the pan. Really, it means each bite starts with something moist and rich—without that usual heaviness. You get all that warm, hearty feeling you expect from northern Italian food. And you know, the cornmeal base? It gives it this special, almost golden look. People in Lombardia often use sausage like luganega, seasoned with garlic, thyme, and rosemary, for a filling that’s super cozy and packed with flavor.

Add some mushrooms—think porcini or champignon—and you’re in for a pretty savory polenta pie experience. The real secret, though? A scoop of creamy besciamella. It kind of melts through the filling and makes everything come together beautifully. For sure. All across Italy, folks get creative with what goes inside, so there’s plenty of room to play around. Some like adding tomato sauce or tossing in speck and melty cheese for a crispy, cheesy kick.

The cool thing about this polenta tart is it works for all sorts of eaters since it’s naturally a gluten-free tart. You know, it hits that sweet spot for anyone who loves comfort food but wants something a little different from the usual pasta or bread dishes. Plus, using a polenta base tart really shines a light on one of Italy’s favorite traditional ingredients.

Trying out your own mix of fillings can be half the fun—think leftover veggies, different cheeses, or whatever you have on hand. It’s one of those Italian dishes that brings people together, feels super homemade, and gives you a reason to experiment with new stuff in the kitchen. Whether you go with sausage and mushrooms or try your own twist, there’s something really creamy and special about polenta done this way.

Imagine serving it at a family gathering or a cozy dinner with friends. And the sauce? It’s sure to be a hit with everyone at the table. No question.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the polenta for a 10.5-inch tart pan: Bramata corn flour 1 cup (200 g); Water 3.3 cups (800 ml); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to taste - to grate; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the filling: Porcini mushrooms 9 oz (250 g); Champignon mushrooms 3 ½ cups (250 g); Luganega sausage 1 lb (450 g); Dry white wine 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Butter 3 tbsp (40 g); Garlic 1 clove; Thyme 3 sprigs; Rosemary 3 sprigs; Nutmeg to taste

For the béchamel sauce: Whole milk 1 ¾ cup (400 ml); Butter 3 tbsp (40 g); Type 00 flour 0.3 cup (40 g); Nutmeg to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Savory Polenta Tart

To prepare the savory polenta tart, start with the ingredients that will make up the filling. First, take care of cleaning the mushrooms: remove any soil residue from the porcini mushrooms and champignon mushrooms (1-2). Once cleaned and washed, cut the mushrooms into quarters 3 and set them aside in a bowl.

Now peel a clove of garlic and chop it finely 4, then strip the rosemary and thyme sprigs and chop the needles and leaves finely 5. Finally, gently cut the sausage casing and crumble it 6, removing the skin and collecting the meat in a bowl.

At this point, melt the butter in a large pan 7, add the chopped garlic 8 and the chopped rosemary and thyme 9, and let it sauté over a low heat for a few minutes.

Add the sausage to the pan and let it cook for 10 minutes 10. During cooking, season everything by grating nutmeg 11, you can add the powdered one directly if you wish, and deglaze with white wine 12.

After this time, add the chopped mushrooms you set aside 13, keeping some for the final decoration of the tart, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste 14, then let it cook for another 15 minutes over low heat, covering with a lid, until they are slightly wilted 15. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Prepare the béchamel sauce now: pour the butter into a saucepan with high sides 16 and let it melt over low heat. Once melted, add the flour already sifted 17 and let it cook for a few minutes, continuing to stir to prevent the flour from sticking to the bottom. Then add the milk 18, which you have previously heated, and continue stirring.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and a sprinkle of grated nutmeg 19 or powdered, then put a lid on the pot and let it cook for about 15 minutes, until the béchamel sauce has thickened 20. To prepare and store the béchamel sauce at best, consult our recipe Béchamel sauce. Once ready, pour the béchamel sauce into the sausage and mushroom filling 21 and mix to combine everything.

Take care of the polenta: fill a large pot with water, salt it, pour a drizzle of oil and bring it to a boil. Then, pour the polenta in a rain 22 and start stirring vigorously with a whisk 23. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the polenta has reached a thick consistency 34. Turn off the heat and let it cool. To discover how to prepare and store polenta at best, consult the recipe Polenta.

Meanwhile, grease a 10.5-inch tart pan with butter, using a brush 25, then transfer the polenta into a piping bag with a star tip and create the base of the tart by forming concentric circles 26. Finally, draw the edge of the tart by squeezing the polenta along the perimeter of the tart pan 27.

Now pour the filling in the center 28 and even it out with the back of a wooden spoon. Using the piping bag again, create the classic lattice pattern of the tart (29-30).

Finish with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese 31 and place the mushrooms you set aside 32. Bake the tart in a preheated static oven at 392°F for 45 minutes and 5 minutes at 482°F using the grill mode. Once cooked, all that's left is to serve and enjoy the hot savory polenta tart 33!

Storage

You can store the savory polenta tart in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container or well covered with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it either already cooked or raw and thaw it directly in the oven.

Advice

This dish is a blast: you know those polentas they serve you in the mountains, accompanied by many saucy options? Well, this is it, but taken to the next level. Because you can choose which polenta to use (even the white or taragna polenta works great, for example) and, above all, which filling: in the recipe, we included mushrooms and sausage, but the choice was tough. If you want, you can add melted cheese or even replace the sausage with ground meat. Since we're at it, here are two ideas for the next time you want to vary: tomato sauce and sausage (phenomenal), or speck and mushrooms. Enjoy your meal!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.