Gnocchi alla romana

Roman-style gnocchi is a classic dish from Lazio, particularly Roman cuisine. They are prepared with semolina, which is cooked in milk until it reaches a thick consistency, then allowed to cool, cut, and baked.

Ingredients

• 250 g of semolina
• 1 liter of milk
• 100 g of butter
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt to taste
• Nutmeg to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with a pinch of salt and, if desired, a sprinkle of nutmeg.
2. When the milk boils, pour the semolina in a steady stream, stirring continuously with a whisk to avoid the formation of lumps. Cook the semolina for about 10 minutes until it detaches from the sides of the saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat, incorporate the egg yolks and about 50 g of butter, stirring well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
4. Add half of the grated Parmesan and stir.
5. Pour the mixture onto a moist work surface or a tray and spread it with a spatula or a rolling pin until it is about 1.5 cm thick. Allow to cool completely.
6. Using a round cookie cutter or a glass, cut out disks from the cooled semolina. You can stack the scraps and roll them out again with the rolling pin to use them all.
7. Arrange the gnocchi on a buttered baking sheet, overlapping them slightly like tiles. Distribute the remaining butter in flakes over the gnocchi and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 20 minutes, until the surface is golden and crispy.
9. Serve the Roman-style gnocchi hot, perhaps with an additional sprinkling of Parmesan.

Curiosity

Despite their name, Roman-style gnocchi do not fall into the category of classic potato gnocchi, but rather that of “baked pasta”. Their soft but firm consistency makes them a substantial and comforting dish, particularly appreciated in the colder months. Gratinate in the oven gives them a pleasant golden crust that contrasts with the soft inside.