Buckwheat Polenta with Mushrooms & Gorgonzola

Discover more Italian regional specialties on one of my small-group food & wine tours to Italy
Polenta Taragna with Funghi - Buckwheat Polenta with Mushrooms (credit: Chris Chen)

On the first day Franz and I were in Lombardy researching A Lombardian Cookbook, Alessandro took us up to the hunting lodge of his family friends Elsa and Tulio. There in the high mountain sunshine, Elsa and Alessandro’s Mum, Iolanda, made polenta taragna (buckwheat polenta) in a copper pot over an open fire in the garden. Cooked this way – or even over a wood fire at home as Iolanda often does – the polenta takes on a lovely subtle smoky flavour from the fire. Mushroom foraging is a very popular pastime in the wooded hills of northern Italy. Use any mushrooms you like for this dish, wild pine mushrooms or slippery jacks if they’re available, or a combination of chestnut mushrooms, Swiss browns or king brown mushrooms. Buckwheat polenta with mushrooms and gorgonzola, a simple salad (see video below), and a glass of crisp Aussie chardonnay – like the elegant Eden Valley drop from Elderton – makes a deliciously simple lunch or dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredients
  • 2½ cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt flakes
  • 150g buckwheat polenta
  • 25g butter
  • 100g mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 12 sage leaves
  • 50g Gorgonzola Dolce
  • 40g freshly grated Grana Padano
Method
  1. Combine water and salt in a large heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil.
  2. Whisking constantly, slowly ‘rain’ in the polenta.
  3. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 40 minutes, until tender.
  4. After 40 minutes, while still cooking the polenta, heat the butter in a frying pan until it’s foaming.
  5. Add the mushrooms and sage and cook for 6 minutes or so, until mushrooms are tender. Set aside to keep warm.
  6. Add Gorgonzola and two-thirds of the Grana to the polenta and stir until it’s completely melted.
  7. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with remaining Grana, pour mushrooms, sage and butter over the top.
  8. Serve buckwheat polenta with mushrooms and gorgonzola immediately.
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What Other Travellers Say

Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I’ve been on three of Roberta’s food and wine tours and each has been an amazing well-organised experience. From remarkable Venice and the surrounding Veneto region to historic Rome and Pompeii, the spectacular Amalfi Coast, and the charming villages of Switzerland – each tour offers something special. Then there’s the food in fabulous places where you can truly eat like a local – inspired travel through great food, wine and company. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Beverly (Woden, ACT, Aus)
Beverly (Woden, ACT, Aus)
Had a fabulous time on Roberta’s back to back tours of Southern Italy and Veneto – good to revisit some places I knew well, like Rome and Venice, and discover new ones, like Matera and Padua. Fantastic and varied food experiences, great cooking classes, met interesting wine makers, restaurateurs and other food artisans and drank some beautiful wines. Highly recommend both tours – and doing them together. I’ll definitely be doing another tour with Roberta.
Mark (Elizabeth Bay, NSW, Aus)
Mark (Elizabeth Bay, NSW, Aus)
My wife and I joined Roberta's Emilia-Romagna tour. We enjoyed all the temptations offered and learned a lot about that part of Italy, especially its food and wine culture. What was most impressive was Roberta's local knowledge of people and places. The planning and effort she put into making the whole experience seem effortless was remarkable.
Shelley (Auckland, NZ)
Shelley (Auckland, NZ)
Roberta’s passion for Italy shone throughout an unforgettable food and wine tour. She introduced us to family-owned artisanal producers, where we experienced everything from attic-aged balsamic to small-batch wines, Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The local guides were equally passionate, and the excellent transport and accommodation made the trip effortless. This tour captured the region’s traditions, flavours and people, and thanks to Roberta’s deep knowledge we left with wonderful memories. A truly authentic culinary adventure.
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Diane (Cremorne Point, NSW, Aus)
Relaxed, organised and well-paced – I enjoyed a wonderful small group tour starting in Rome, then travelling down the Amalfi Coast to stay at a family estate where we were treated like old friends. It included some hidden gems too, notably on our way to Matera, a fascinating town built into the side of a mountain. We finished with Naples and Pompeii – with plenty of wine and more new tastes. Roberta is a specialist and very personable as she hosts and explains every detail of the food and wine experience.
Fiona (Blackheath, NSW, Aus)
Fiona (Blackheath, NSW, Aus)
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the Veneto and Venice. Roberta creates wonderful bespoke small group tours with her incredible knowledge of food and wine and adds great accommodation and points of interest. It’s like travelling with your ‘besties’ – including one who’s done all the hard work researching and discovering the best and most interesting places to go, especially to eat and drink. Come with an appetite! Also factored in is time for you to do your own exploring and discover your own gems.
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
Di (Manly, NSW, Aus)
We had always travelled independently, so a small group tour felt like a risk, but by day 2 we knew it was the right choice. Roberta knows people and places far from the tourist trail: winery lunches, a family lemon grove high on the Amalfi Coast, a third-generation cheesemaker, an amazing cave hotel in Matera. We'll definitely travel with Roberta again.
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