The ultimate comfort food, Gnocchi alla Romana bears almost no resemblance to the more well-known potato gnocchi. However, Gnocchi Alla Romana is a traditional Italian recipe that is incredibly satisfying as a lunch, dinner or even as an appetizer. If you like grits, polenta or porridge, you’ll love this dish!
Bring the milk and butter to simmer over medium-low heat.
Add salt and nutmeg to taste.
When the milk is warm and butter melted, add all of the semolina flour a little at a time—stirring continuously.
Simmer the mixture until it begins to thicken. The consistency will be like cooked porridge.
Remove the thick mixture from the heat and immediately whisk in two egg yolks.
Whisk the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese into the mixture as well.
Shape the Gnocchi
Shape in one of two ways, then let the dough cool. Option #1: Sandwich the warm mixture between parchment paper and roll out to a height of ½ inch or 1 cm. Option #2: Or, use a piece of parchment paper to shape the mixture into a log about 2 inches in diameter.
After you’ve shaped the dough, cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Cut or Slice the Gnocchi
Option #1: If you rolled the dough out, use a 2 inch (1 cm) cookie or biscuit cutter to cut the gnocchi into rounds.
Add Condiments
Arrange the gnocchi in a large dish, slightly overlapping.
Add any condiments you prefer, such as melted butter and sage...
... or sweet Italian gorgonzola!
Top with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional).
Bake the Gnocchi
Bake in a pre-heated 400℉ (200℃) 'static' oven for 15-20 minutes. You can finish them on 'broil' if you like for a few minutes to make them crispy on top. Just watch that they don't burn!
Video
Notes
Re-roll gnocchi dough scraps!Are you shaping the gnocchi by rolling it out, then cutting it into rounds? You'll have some scraps left over, but you don't need to waste them!Simply press the scraps together and roll them out between the parchment paper once again. Cut into rounds, repeat—until you've used all of the dough.Topping AlternativesTop with about about 1.8 oz of sweet Italian gorgonzola!