Gnocchi alla Romana is a traditional Italian recipe that’s made with semolina, Parmigiano Reggiano, milk and butter. It’s also called semolina gnocchi, and is quite different from the typical gnocchi recipes.
Gnocchi alla Romana are cooked on the stove and baked in the oven and can be considered a true comfort dish; think about it, flour (semolina), cheese and butter. So, start by reserving some time on the treadmill, before you prepare this dish.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Semolina flour
- Milk – I used 1%, but 2% of whole milk will work as well.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- Butter
- Nutmeg (optional) – I always add nutmeg to a cheese dish, as it deepens the cheese flavor, but it is not a must if you don’t like nutmeg.
- Egg yolk
How to Make Gnocchi alla Romana
Step 1 – Heat the milk in a saucepan and allow it to come to an almost boil. Reduce the heat and slowly whisk in the semolina. Continue whisking and the mixture will turn thick in a couple of minutes. You may like to use a wooden spoon at this stage. Continue stirring for 15-20 minutes on low heat, you will end up with a very thick mixture.
Step 2 – Add cheese, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir again.
Step 4 – Take pan from heat and add the egg yolk and stir again until fully incorporated.
Step 5 – Moisten part of a baking sheet with water and spoon the semolina mixture onto the baking sheet. Spread out with an offset spatula into a 1/2-inch thick layer.
Allow to cool (speed this up by placing the baking sheet in the fridge).
Step 6 – Grease a baking dish with butter. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter (about 2-inch in diameter) and cut the cooled semolina in discs. Dip the cookie cutter in water between cuts, to prevent the semolina mixture from sticking to the cookie cutter.
If the discs do not come off the baking dish easily, the mixture is not cold enough.
Fill the baking dish with semolina discs, each overlapping the previous. You can reshape the scraps and make more discs.
Step 7 – Sprinkle some grated cheese over the discs as well as little dollops of butter.
Cover dish and place in fridge until it is take to bake it.
Place baking dish in an oven of 425 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a beautiful golden crust is visible.
Serve and ENJOY !
Other Simply Side Dishes to Try
Gnocchi alla Romana
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup semolina flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- nutmeg
- salt & pepper
- 1 egg yolk
- Parmigiano Reggiano (for thin top layer) grated
- butter (for greasing and top layer gnocchi)
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a saucepan and allow it to come to an almost boil. Reduce the heat and slowly whisk in the semolina. Continue whisking and the mixture will turn thick in a couple of minutes. You may like to use a wooden spoon at this stage. Continue stirring for 15-20 minutes on low heat, you will end up with a very thick mixture.
- Add 3/4 of the cheese, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir again.
- Take the saucepan from the stove and add the egg yolk and stir again until fully incorporated.
- Moisten a baking sheet with water and spoon the semolina mixture onto the baking sheet. Spread out with an offset spatula into a 1/2-inch thick layer.
- Allow to cool (speed this up by placing the baking sheet in the fridge). This will take about 20 minutes.
- Grease a baking dish with butter. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter (about 2-inch in diameter) and cut the cooled semolina in discs. Dip the cookie cutter in water between cuts, to prevent the semolina mixture to stick to the cookie cutter. Fill the baking dish with semolina discs, each overlapping the previous.
- Sprinkle some grated cheese over the discs as well as little dollops of butter.
- Place baking dish in an oven of 425 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a beautiful golden crust is visible.
- If you are not ready to bake as yet, this is the time to cover the dish and keep it in the fridge.
- Serve and ENJOY !
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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