Gnocchi alla Romana (Roman Semolina Gnocchi)
Gnocchi alla Romana - soft and buttery semolina gnocchi are baked until deliciously crispy on the outside with a comforting, creamy middle. These are perfect as a side dish or served as they are with some Italian tomato sauce.
Servings: 35 gnocchi (see notes)
Equipment
- Baking parchment
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 290 g (1 and 3/4 cups) fine semolina (see notes)
- 1185 ml (5 cups) whole milk
- 50 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 60 g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano finely grated
- 60 g (1 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 egg yolks we used golden yolks for added colour
For topping
- 70 g (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- Extra Parmigiano or Pecorino for topping
Instructions
- Grate the cheese and set aside.
- Add the milk,butter, a pinch of nutmeg and a teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, turn down low and gradually add the semolina whilst whisking to avoid any lumps.1185 ml (5 cups) whole milk, 50 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter,, 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon fine salt, 290 g (1 and 3/4 cups) fine semolina
- Keep whisking until the mixture turns very thick. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese, stirring it until melted with a wooden spoon. Next, very quickly add the eggs yolks and stir them in until combined.60 g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano, 60 g (1 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, 2 egg yolks
- Spoon half of the mixture on a large sheet of baking parchment and use the sides of the parchment to shape and roll the semolina into a long log. Wrap it up and twist the ends to secure it.
- Repeat this process with the second half of the gnocchi dough. Let the logs cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until you need them (up to 2 days in advance).
- Pre-heat the oven to 200℃/400F℉ Melt the butter in a pan and allow to cool slightly.70 g (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- Grease your baking dish well with butter, then slice the logs into discs (around1.5cm or ¾ of an inch). Lay them in the baking dish slightly on top of each other, then drizzle over the melted butter. Grate over some extra cheese (pecorino or parmigiano) and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then switch to the grill/broiler for 5 minutes to get extra crispy on top.
Notes
- Note on semolina - finely ground semolina is best for this recipe, but don't confuse it with Semola Rimacinata, which is so finely ground it has the texture of flour and is not suitable for this recipe.
- Serving size - this recipe makes around 35 gnocchi, which will serve around 6-8 people as a size dish or 4-6 as a main dish.
- Eggs - we like to use golden yolks to give the gnocchi a rich colour, but it's not necessary if you don't have them.
Nutrition
Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1mg
