My grandparents were from Northern Italy, where much of the world's best polenta is grown and milled, so I grew up eating polenta. It was, for me, an acquired taste. I love it now. Many Italians put polenta in the pasta category.
Don't look down on dried pasta! The good stuff is a wonderful thing to have in your cabinet.
Everyone has to have a good set of pasta bowls. Seriously, it's important!