📋Gnocchi Alla Romana (Semolina Gnocchi)

Gnocchi alla Romana are round patties of coarse durum wheat semolina topped with abundant cheese and baked. They form a crispy top but remain tender inside. The authentic recipe uses "Semolina", not semolina flour, which is very different. They are not like regular potatoes gnocchi; they are much easier to make with a consistency similar to polenta.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked semolina gnocchi, gnocchi alla romana, semolina gnocchi

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Resting time 1

Total Time 1 45

Servings people

Calories 407kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

All-Clad Sauce Pan 3-Quart
Baking Utensil Set a whisk and a spatula
Round Biscuit Cutters
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
Pyrex Baking Dishes

Ingredients

4 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch nutmeg
½ lb semolina if you cannot find semolina use polenta tubes. NOT SEMOLINA FLOUR
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolk
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
4 tablespoon butter for topping
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan for topping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cooking the semolina

In a large pan, bring the milk, ⅓ of the butter, and nutmeg to boil
4 cups milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 pinch nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt
Once the milk is boiling, add the semolina gradually, stirring with a whisk, making sure it properly amalgamates without forming granules
½ lb semolina
Cook for only a few minutes. Once it thickens, add the egg yolks and the grated Parmesan
2 egg yolk, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Keep stirring until they are combined

Making the cakes

While the semolina is still warm, cover a baking pan with parchment paper
With a spatula, spread the semolina uniformly with a thickness of about 1 inch - 2.5 cm
To make an even surface, cover it with another sheet of parchment paper
Roll it flat with a rolling pin
Remove the top sheet
Let it cool down to room temperature
Once the semolina is cold, cut the cakes with a cookie cutter
Gently remove them with a spatula. They should be firm and very easy to handle

Baking the gnocchi

Butter a glass or ceramic baking pan. Use a nice pan as they will be served in it.
Place the round cakes on the pan, each row slightly overlapping the back one
Top with the remaining butter
4 tablespoon butter
Sprinkle with abundant freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Bake in a hot oven at 390 F - 200 C until crisp. It should take about 25 to 30 minutes
Serve them warm just out of the oven

Video

Notes

To make these gnocchi, you must buy semolina, NOT semolina flour. I couldn't find it on amazon.com, so if you live in the USA, you may have to look for it at a local Italian shop.

If you are in the UK, you can find it at the De Cecco shop:

If you cannot find semolina, use polenta tubes.

Semolina, unlike polenta, doesn't need to cook for 20 minutes. It is much easier to make
You can roll the semolina into a tube and cut it into slices
Use a nice pan as you will have to bring it to the table
Do not skip the topping with butter and parmesan, and be generous; they add flavor and make the crust crispy

Nutrition