GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA (ROMAN-STYLE SEMOLINA GNOCCHI)

Article
·

Gnocchi alla Romana (Roman-style Semolina Gnocchi), a traditional Roman dish made with semolina flour, milk, butter and Parmigiano. Light, fragrant, and tasty, this simple dish is beautiful to look at with its distinct round-shaped gnocchi baked in the oven until brown and crispy.

Ingredients

  • 1 liter whole milk
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 250 g semolina flour
  • 100 g unsalted butter, divided
  • 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • salt and pepper
  • few sage leaves (fresh or dried)

Instructions

  1. In a sauce pan bring milk, 40 g of butter, nutmeg, and salt to a low simmer.
  2. When butter is melted start slowly sprinkling in the semolina flour a little bit at a time stirring the mixture with a whisk in a clockwise manner.
  3. Continue this until the semolina is all in and the mixture starts to thicken, about 15 minutes start to finish.
  4. Keep blending gently and add in Parmigiano.
  5. Line a large baking sheet 30cmx40cm with parchment paper.
  6. Scoop mixture out of pan with a spatula onto parchment.
  7. Level and smooth to edges of pan to a 1.5 cm thickness and place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes or until cool and set.
  8. Butter a 23 cmx26cm baking dish.
  9. Using a 5cm cookie cutter, cut out disks of gnocchi, and place in baking dish, overlapping disks onto one another a bit.
  10. In a sauté pan melt remaining butter with the sage leaves and sauté till butter begins to brown.
  11. Pour butter over gnocchi and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano .
  12. Place in a 400 degree F oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  13. Turn oven to low broil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  14. Take out of oven and serve immediately.
  15. Enjoy!

History

Even though many people think gnocchi are traditionally always made with potatoes, they didn’t actually arrive in Italy from the Americas until the 15th Century. Up to that point, gnocchi were made with semolina flour. The Gnocchi alla Romana, therefore,  an old, classic, and traditional Italian dish, are not the classic potato gnocchi, but round disks made of semolina, milk, butter and Parmigiano, one centimeter thick and with the diameter of five centimeters that are arranged in a pan, sprinkled with melted butter and cheese and baked in the oven until bubbly and golden brown.