Gnocchi alla Romana is a potato-free version of the classic Italian dumpling. It's quite different from gnocchi di patate, but easy to make and very delicious!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves 2.
For this recipe, you will need:
- 1 cup (250ml) milk
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
- Grated nutmeg
- Salt
- 1/2 cup (60g) semolina flour
- 1 egg yolk
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste
- Grated pecorino Romano cheese for topping
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add half the butter. Heat over medium temperature, stirring frequently with a whisk. Season with a sprinkle of nutmeg and a large pinch of salt. When the butter has melted completely, gradually add the flour while whisking constantly. Stir thoroughly to avoid any clumps.
Switch to a wooden spoon and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture thickens into a solid dough, similar to the consistency of a thick polenta. Take the saucepan off the heat, and stir in the egg yolk and grated Parmigiano to taste (we used about 25g).
Transfer the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. Use the paper to roll the dough into a thick sausage shape. Press it firmly to make a compact form without large gaps.
Keeping the sausage wrapped in the paper, allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 355 degrees F (180 C).
Carefully unwrap the dough and slice it into discs, each about a pinky finger's width. Arrange them flat in the bottom of a bakeware dish. Melt the remaining butter in a microwave or on the stovetop and drizzle this over the gnocchi. Finish by topping them with a generous grating of pecorino cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese becomes crispy. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito!
I love Pasta alla Romana more than possibly any other dish, and I make it year-round. But because I’m an inveterate recipe tamperer, I sometimes add some lemon zest (or a small amount of finely minced preserved lemon rind) and celery or caraway seed to the dough. Or za’atar in the dough and sumac sprinkled over. These semolina gnocchi are so versatile that the possibilities are almost endless! Before serving, I sprinkle a decent amount of parsley leaves over the dish. I am addicted to parsley! I also divide the dough in half, making one half the traditional pristine way, and serve them side by side. Sometimes I make browned butter to drizzle over them. Because butter. If I want…
Wow! These are light, cheesy and a bit crispy. They're wonderful. I can't stop eating them.