Margherita Baked Polenta Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Mar 12, 2025 
Margherita Baked Polenta Recipe – This easy baked polenta recipe features layers of marinara sauce, fresh basil, and melty mozzarella cheese, all made on a comforting pesto polenta base!
Why We Love This Margherita Baked Polenta Recipe
Polenta is the Italian version of grits, made from coarsely ground corn. It’s cozy and inviting, with a soft rustic texture. It can be cooked on the stovetop and served loose like grits. Or it can be poured into a baking dish and baked into a firmer consistency that makes a marvelous platform for toppings.
Although I love polenta in all forms, I’m especially fond of baked polenta. It serves as a wonderful carb-y base for all sorts of stacked appetizers, breakfast options, and baked casserole dishes, like today’s recipe, Margherita Baked Polenta.
This baked polenta has the appeal of lasagna, or other Italian-baked pasta recipes. Yet because it’s made with ground cornmeal instead of pasta, it is completely gluten-free! The thick layer of polenta on the bottom is packed with rich herbaceous flavor from basil pesto, and smoked gouda cheese. It has a soft decadent texture that holds its shape, yet is easy for a fork to sink into.
Our Easy Baked Polenta Recipe is perfect for family gatherings and parties. It’s a huge crowd-pleaser, super simple to assemble ahead of time, vegetarian and wheat-free!
What is Margherita Pizza?
The term Margherita does not refer to the margarita cocktail, but to an Italian combination of ingredients that resembles the Italian flag. Red is represented by tomatoes, green by basil, and white by mozzarella cheese.
This flavor combination is said to be named after the queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, who visited Naples in the late 1800s.
This combination is most often found on Pizza Margherita (since tomato, basil, and mozzarella were the queen’s favorite pizza toppings) but can be used in all sorts of Italian-inspired dishes.
Ingredients You Need
- Dried polenta – AKA course yellow grits
- Vegetable broth – chicken broth, or water
- Salt – just a bit
- Basil pesto – store bought or homemade fresh pesto
- Smoked gouda – shredded
- Marinara sauce – jarred or homemade marinara sauce
- Fresh basil leaves – large or small
- Fresh mozzarella balls – or ready-to-use slices
How to Make Margherita-Style Baked Polenta
- Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour the broth into a large sauce pot set and heat on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then whisk in the polenta and salt. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally so that the polenta doesn’t stick to the pot.
- Turn off the heat once the polenta has thickened and stir in the pesto and smoked gouda. Then quickly pour the polenta into the baking dish and smooth into an even layer before it starts to firm.
- Bake the dish for 25 minutes, uncovered. Meanwhile, slice the mozzarella balls into 12 rounds.
- Pour the marinara sauce onto the baked polenta and smooth it into an even layer. Then arrange 12 basil leaves over the sauce, and top that off with your sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle some fresh ground pepper.
- Bake again, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has melted. Let the baked polenta rest before serving. Enjoy immediately!
Get the Complete (Printable!) Margherita Baked Polenta Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I love to garnish each slice of baked polenta with some freshly grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. If you want to turn up the heat, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
Our Italian Baked Polenta can be served as a vegetarian main dish, with a salad or roasted vegetable on the side.
Or you can serve it as a side dish with Italian Meatballs, Roasted Chicken, or Steak Florentine.
Either way, we suggest serving this dish with a classic, crisp green side salad and don’t forget the focaccia bread to soak up the decadent marinara sauce!
Recipe Variations
- Cheeses – If you would rather not use gouda, you can also use freshly shredded parmigiano-reggiano or another soft white cheese that is your favorite.
- Sauce – I love a simple marinara sauce with this recipe. But you can use whatever flavor you prefer like roasted garlic, spicy arrabbiata sauce, creamy vodka, or mushroom.
- Vegan – If you are trying to make a dairy-free version, you can leave out the gouda, and either omit the mozzarella on top, or swap it with a vegan cheese substitute. However, it’s important to mention that many jarred pestos do have parmesan cheese in them. So make sure to read the label when selecting one.
- Halve the recipe – As-is this polenta recipe makes 12 servings in a large 9×13 baking dish. Halve the ingredients and prepare the dish in an 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish to make 6 servings.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Boil water or broth.
2. Whisk the polenta into the water so it doesn’t clump.
3. Simmer the polenta until the grains are soft and the consistency is thick.
4. Season the polenta with salt and pepper.
Although to can buy pre-cooked polenta in logs that you slice and bake, making it from scratch is quick and easy!
1. Start by boiling the polenta until it is soft and thick, like the standard stovetop recipe.
2. Then pour the polenta into a baking dish and spread it out in an even layer.
3. Bake the polenta until it is firm and puffy, about 25 minutes or so.
You can store the leftovers of this dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Looking for More Italian Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
- Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Italian Fish in Tomato Sauce
- Cacio e Pepe
- Ricotta Baked Ziti with Sausage
- Kale Pesto
- Whole Roasted Snapper with Anchovy Butter
- Pappa al Pomodoro
- Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)
- Creamy Broccoli Pasta
- Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta
- Creamy Polenta Recipe by Love and Lemons
- Creamy Parmesan Polenta by Craving California
Margherita Baked Polenta Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups dried polenta (course yellow grits)
- 7 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 6 ounce smoked gouda, shredded
- 24 ounce marinara sauce (jarred or homemade)
- 20 large fresh basil leaves
- 2 large fresh mozzarella balls (16 oz total)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set out a 9X13 inch baking dish and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Then set a large 5-6 quart saucepot on the stovetop over medium-heat heat.
- Pour the vegetable broth (or water) in the saucepot. Once boiling, whisk in the polenta and salt. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the polenta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the polenta is very thick and the grains feel soft, turn off the heat. Stir in the pesto and smoked gouda. Then pour the polenta into the baking dish before it starts to firm. Smooth the polenta in an even layer.
- Bake the polenta for 25 minutes, uncovered. Meanwhile, slice the mozzarella balls into 12 rounds. *After 25 minutes, if the polenta doesn't seem set in the middle, bake an additional 10 minutes before you proceed. It needs to be firm before the marinara goes over the top.
- Pour the marinara over the top of the baked polenta and smooth into an even layer. Arrange 12 large fresh basil leaves over the marinara, 3 across and 4 down. Then cover the basil leaves with 12 mozzarella slices. Sprinkle ground black pepper over the top, if desired.
- Bake again, for 10-15, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has melted. Let the polenta rest for 5 minutes, before cutting and serving.
It’s tasty but it doesn’t need to be cooked so long. Mine was just as soft after the 40 minutes in the oven as it was when it came off the stove top. Never did solidify. I will shorten cooking times next time. 7 or 8 minutes on stove top, put in dish, add marinara and mozzarella and bake for another 10 minutes.