Let’s Cook: Semolina Gnocchi

by RogerFebruary 11, 2020

Semolina gnocchi, sometimes called Roman Gnocchi (gnocchi alla Romana) is an easy dish to master. Rich and creamy, it’s perfect for a first course and excellent served with a variety of sauces, or even all on its own.

Listen to the full episode for the live cook-through of semolina gnocchi, and scroll down to the get the recipe.

Mentioned in this episode

Here is a good video on separating yolks from egg whites:

Here are a couple of pics that I mentioned in the episode:

1: Mixture just after the semolina is added.
2: Mixture as it begins to pull away from sides of pan, after about 6 minutes of cooking and stirring constantly.

This is a picture of the gnocchi after it is poured into the first baking dish to cool:

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Semolina Gnocchi

Author: Roger
Prep Time: 75 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Semolina gnocchi, sometimes called Roman Gnocchi (gnocchi alla Romana) is an easy dish to master. Rich and creamy, it’s perfect for a first course and excellent served with a variety of sauces, or even all on its own.

Ingredients

Scale

1 quart whole milk
1 cup Semolina flour
1/2 cup melted butter, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
3 egg yolks, beaten
Salt to taste
A dash of ground nutmeg

Instructions

Bring the milk just to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the semolina in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the semolina begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Add the 1/4 cup of melted butter and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix completely.
Remove the gnocchi from the stovetop and add the egg yolks while beating the mixture vigorously so the eggs do not curdle. Add salt to taste and mix in nutmeg.
Dampen a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with water. Pour the hot gnocchi into the pan and smooth out with a wet spatula until approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (thickness will depend on the size of your pan). Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and butter a baking dish with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. Take the cooled gnocchi and cut pieces out with a 2 or 3 inch round cookie cutter. Lay the pieces in the baking dish with a slight overlap. Pour the remaining two Tablespoons of melted butter over the gnocchi, then sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 or until the cheese begins to brown.

Notes

To reduce the chances of the eggs curdling in step 2, you can temper the eggs by mixing a small amount of the hot gnocchi into the eggs before adding to the rest of the gnocchi.
You can add red sauce or pesto to the baking dish underneath the gnocchi, or alfredo sauce on top of the gnocchi before baking.
Recipe adapted from Ruby Lewis