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