Tomato and Mozzarella Polenta Hearts are a delicious appetizer or snack, perfect to start a meal both on regular days and holidays.

I recommend them as a small finger food for Valentine’s Day: in an atmosphere where everything is heart-shaped, these small melty bites will make you look great and will be loved by everyone.

This recipe is also the ideal solution for recycling leftover polenta that we often forget in the fridge: an anti-waste way to turn a leftover into a gourmet dish.

They are ideal to serve as an appetizer or warm starter during the winter season
They are easy and quick to prepare, especially since you can use either instant polenta flour or pre-cooked polenta blocks found in the fridge section.

Grandma advises you… Polenta can also be prepared the day before. Once spread on the baking sheet and cooled, store it in the fridge. You can store it as a whole slab to cut just before baking, or cut out the stars and keep them ready to put directly in the oven.

The magic touch? The versatility of cooking! You can make them crispy in just a few minutes:
In the oven, for a classic and even browning.
In an air fryer, for a super crispy and quick result, without almost any mess.

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4 People
Cooking methods: Electric oven, Air frying
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

Tomato and Mozzarella Polenta Hearts

6.5 oz instant polenta
3 cups water
2.5 tbsp butter
1.5 oz Parmesan
to taste salt
to taste extra virgin olive oil (to season the tomato)
0.6 cup tomato sauce
4.5 oz pizza mozzarella
to taste dried oregano

Tools

Pot
Hand Whisk
Plate
Baking Paper
Molds
Air Fryers

Steps

Tomato and Mozzarella Polenta Hearts

Bring lightly salted water to a boil.
Pour the polenta flour in gradually, stirring immediately with a whisk to avoid lumps.
Cook, continuing to stir, for about 5 minutes or until the polenta is quite firm and no longer workable with the whisk.
Turn off the heat and add the butter and grated cheese; mix quickly.
Immediately pour the polenta onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and roll out the polenta with a rolling pin, achieving a uniform thickness of about 0.6 inches.
Let it cool completely.
Place the hearts on a baking sheet (or in the air fryer basket).
Option 1: In Oven (Classic)
Total time: Approximately 15-20 minutes.
First phase (10-15 min): Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the hearts on the baking sheet, season them only with the tomato and bake. This phase is to make the polenta base firm and slightly golden.
Second phase (last 5 min): Quickly remove the baking sheet, add a mozzarella cube to the center of each heart and a pinch of oregano. Bake again for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted without burning.
Option 2: In Air Fryer (Quick)
Total time: Approximately 10-12 minutes.
First phase (5-7 min): Set the air fryer to 375°F. Put the hearts with the tomato in the basket (without overlapping them).
Second phase (last 3-5 min): Open the basket, add the mozzarella and oregano.
Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
The air fryer’s fan will make the polenta super crispy in no time!
Cooking times are indicative. Since each oven and air fryer has its specific times and powers, monitor visually
Serve the Tomato and Mozzarella Polenta Hearts to best enjoy the creaminess and the contrast of flavors.

Advice

Remember that each oven and each air fryer has its own power: check your polenta hearts visually.

The secret is to wait for the mozzarella to become an inviting white spot before taking them out of the oven!

To prevent the mozzarella from releasing too much water and “flooding” the polenta heart, cut it into cubes and let it drain in a strainer for at least 30 minutes before using. Alternatively, you can use pizza mozzarella (the block type) which is drier.

When rolling out the polenta with the rolling pin, try to keep it at 0.6 inches. If you make it too thin, the heart will become too crunchy and hard; if you make it too thick, it will struggle to heat well in the center in the short time required by the mozzarella.

Curiosity

Recovery (Zero Waste)
After cutting out the hearts, you’ll be left with polenta edges:
Snack croutons: Cut them into irregular cubes, toss them in a pan with oil and rosemary.
Use them as a crunchy accompaniment to a vegetable soup.

You can enrich the tomato sauce before putting it on the hearts:
Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and if you like, some chili pepper for a “spicy” Valentine’s version.

Replace oregano with a leaf of fresh basil to add only after baking for a more intense aroma.

You can prepare the polenta base and cut out the hearts even the day before, storing them in the fridge covered with cling film. When it’s time to serve, you’ll just need to season them and bake them: a great trick not to spend too much time in the kitchen when you have guests!

Advice for other recipes

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