Gnocchi di semolino alla romana (Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi)
Gnocchi di semolino alla romana (Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi) is a traditional Vatican City recipe (based on a Roman original) for a starter made from semolina, milk and eggs rolled into a rope, cut into sections and boiled to cook served in a butter and Pecorino sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Vatican City dish of: Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi (Gnocchi di semolino alla romana).
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Gnocchi on Thursday, fish on Friday, and tripe on Saturday... so the old-style preparation goes. Gnocchi represent a very traditional first course, prepared with a wide variety of flours or starchy bases and they're popular throughout the world, even in different shapes. True to Roman tradition, these are the classic Thursday dish, probably placed in the middle of the week to compensate for the lightness of the next day's meal... a custom still adhered to even today by nostalgic/traditional Romans. Today we've chosen to offer you a typical Lazio recipe: Roman-style gnocchi, made with semolina, perfect for both sweet recipes, like sweet semolina or Migliaccio, and savory ones, like semolina dumplings... Succulent discs of semolina characterized by a golden crust, made even more fragrant by the addition of butter and pecorino cheese! Of course, in Rome, the best day to make them is Thursday, but once you try them, you'll fall in love with them so much that every day is the right day to serve these Roman-style gnocchi! The secret? Serve them piping hot to find out!
Although the unmistakable name 'Gnocchi alla Romana' clearly suggests its regional origins, there seems to be conflicting opinions regarding the origins of this dish, which many believe to be of Piedmontese origin, especially due to the abundant use of butter.
Ingredients:
250g Semolina
1l Whole milk
2 Egg yolks
100g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
7g Fine salt
freshly-grated Nutmeg, to taste
30g butter
For the sauce:
70g butter
40g Pecorino Romano
Method:
To prepare Roman-style gnocchi, place the milk in a saucepan over the heat with 30g of butter, then add the salt and a pinch of nutmeg. As soon as the milk begins to boil, slowly pour in the semolina, stirring vigorously with a balloon whisk to avoid lumps.
Cook the mixture over low heat for a few minutes, until it thickens. When the mixture begins to separate from the base of the pan, remove the pan from the heat and add the 2 egg yolks, stirring this time with a wooden spoon.
Add the Parmesan cheese in several batches, stirring gradually until it is completely incorporated. Now pour half of the still-hot mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Shape it into a cylindrical shape with your hands. To avoid burning yourself, you can run your hands under cold water. Once you have a uniform cylinder, wrap it in parchment paper. Repeat this process for the second half of the reserved dough and place the two rolls in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Once cooled, the dough will become compact and you can use a sharp knife to cut perfect discs, about 1cm thick. 13 To make cutting easier, we recommend moistening the blade with water. Once you have about 40 pieces, arrange them on a previously buttered baking sheet and brush them with melted butter (about 70 g), but not boiling.
Sprinkle the surface with Pecorino Romano and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan) for 20-25 minutes (or 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes). Then, turn on the grill and brown them for 4-5 minutes.
Once ready, serve the gnocchi alla romana piping hot.
Freshly-prepared gnocchi alla romana can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
You can also freeze Roman-style gnocchi, already topped with cheese and butter flakes instead of melted butter, then bake them directly in the oven without thawing.
To enhance the flavour of the gnocchi even further, add a few sage leaves between each round of gnocchi.
Semolina flour cannot be substituted for semolina, as one might think, because they are two different products. Semolina is made from a mix of grains.
To obtain a uniform and smooth cylinder, the dough must be kneaded while still warm.
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