Roman style gnocchi – gnocchi alla romana
This is my grandma’s recipe. When my sister and I were little we used to help her cutting the semolina mixture into disks. We were eating half of it raw while we were cutting it. This is still one of my favorite dishes and I often request it for my birthday party.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups + 3 Tbsp. finely ground semolina
7 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup freshly grated Italian parmesan
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
For the topping:
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Instructions:
1. In a nonstick pan put the milk and the nutmeg. Warm it up at a medium temperature until it starts to simmer.
2. Pour the semolina a little bit at the time using a wire whisk When the semolina is well combined with the milk substitute the whisk with a wooden spoon and stir constantly for 10 min. The batter will thicken and it will be hard to mix it so you have to be careful not to burn it.
3. Remove the pan from the stove add the egg yolks, the butter and the parmesan.
4. Wet a smooth surface with water and pour the mixture over it. Using a plastic rolling pin or even a glass to flatten the batter to 1/2 inch thickness. Let it cool.
5. Once cooled, cut the semolina mixture into round pieces using a glass about 1 1/2 inches wide Dip it first into a little bowl of water to avoid the gnocchi stick to the glass. As you cut it you’ll have some pieces left, you roll them out again and until you use all the mixture. Makes about 60 gnocchi.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°.
7. In the mean time grease a baking dish with a generous amount of butter. Place the gnocchi on the sheet on rows slightly overlapping each other.
8. Dot each disk with a little bit of butter and bake for approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
9. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the gnocchi with the grated Parmesan.
10. Cook under a grill (broiler) until the gnocchi starts to turn golden brown on top.
11. Serve immediately
Notes:
This dish can be prepared hours ahead. Just place the un-baked gnocchi on a cooking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Patty, this dish sounds so wonderful. I have never had it before, but I do intend on making it very soon. I look forward to your wonderful emails with such amazing recipes. My husband is Italian and we love the many delicious recipes you offer along with such lovely memories of years gone by, and the many comments from your readers.
Thanks so much.
Joan, Thank you so much for your kind words.
Let me know how the dish will come out, this is one of my favorite recipes.
I hope you can find semolino.
Hello Patty from the UK, Iv been a chef all my working days and Im now semi retired but in all the kitchens I hve worked in there has always been hot ‘Semolina Pudding’ served with jam or stewed fruit. Now all the times I have made semolina I have winched because I hate the smell and taste of the blessed stuff! but I made it as it was on the menu. Then I came accross your recipe for making gnocchi with semolina, and against my better judgment, I made the dreaded semolina and proceeded to make the gnocchi and it was brilliant! best Iv ever had so thanks for that Patty.
Mark.
PS. Still aint gonna make that minging semolina pudding though, UGH!
Mark, I’m really glad that you tried to make gnocchi alla romana despite of your hate for semolina, and that you actually liked the taste and texture. I think that semolina is a love it or hate it kind of food. My son cannot stand it and I on the other end love it any way that it is prepared.
Hi, I don’t think I’ve ever had semolina! But I saw a recipe similar to this on the tv and thought it sounded good. Could you tell me what you would serve it with? Thanks, Eve