Typical Italian Roman gnocchi

Roman Gnocchi or ‘Gnocchi alla Romana‘, is a typical dish from the Lazio region of Italy.

According to custom, Roman Gnocchi is a dish for Thursday. This may be because on Friday, a lighter dishes of fish are typically served as people like to adhere to custom.

Roman Gnocchi are succulent slices of cheese flavored semolina, characterized by a golden crust of Parmesan and Pecorino. There are variations on the same theme as you can mix up the type of cheese you use. You can add different herbs such as basil or sage, which will blend perfectly with the buttery creaminess of these tasty morsels.

These gnocchi are very rich and although they are often served as is, straight from the oven, we like to serve them sat in a little of our San Marzano sauce.

We hope you enjoy a little slice of Rome very soon!

Roman gnocchi – Serves 4 – 6

1 litre (4.25 cups) whole milk
250 g (8.8 oz – about 1 1/4 cups) Semolina flour
100 g (3.5 oz) butter
2 egg yolks
100 g (3.5 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
40 g (1.5 oz) Pecorino, grated
7 g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
A tiny pinch of grated nutmed (optional)

First place the milk over a medium heat, in a largish saucepan as it will serve as a mixing bowl. Add 1/3rd of the butter, salt and a pinch of nutmeg. As soon as it starts to boil, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the semolina, stirring vigorously with a whisk, to avoid the formation of lumps.
Over a low heat, cook the mixture for a few minutes, until it thickens, then remove the pan from the heat and add the two yolks to the mixture, mixing this time with a wooden spoon.
Next add the Parmesan (and nutmeg if using), then mix everything again. At this point, pour half of the still boiling dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using your hands, create a cylindrical shape. To avoid getting too hot you can pass your hands under cold water. Once you have obtained a uniform cylinder, roll it in the parchment paper. Repeat the same operation for the second half of the dough and put the two rolls in the refrigerator for about twenty minutes.
Once cooled, you will obtain a compact dough and with a knife, be able to obtain perfect, equally sized discs. To facilitate cutting, we recommend moistening the blade with water. You will create about 40 pieces.
Arrange them on a previously buttered baking sheet and brush them with the rest of the butter, melted
Sprinkle the surface with pecorino romano and bake uncovered, in a preheated oven at 395 ° for 20-25 minutes. Then activate the broiler function and let them cook ‘au gratin‘ for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. (A quick note about your oven, often ovens are heated from both the top and bottom and you have a choice. For example, our ‘bake’ function heats from the bottom. Ensure you choice the elements that heat your oven from the top as this will assist browning process.
Once ready serve your gnocchi alla romana hot!

STORING ROMAN GNOCCHI

Store the roman Gnocchi in a refrigerator in a container for up to 2 days. You can also freeze them, already seasoned with cheese and butter. Dot with pieces of butter instead of melting it, and cook them directly in the oven without defrosting.

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