Gnocchi Alla Romana Recipes

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA (BAKED SEMOLINA GNOCCHI)

Steps:

• Combine milk, 1/4 cup butter, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk semolina into boiling milk, mixing well to prevent lumps. Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Add egg yolks, 1 cup Grana Padano, and Gruyere cheese; stir well.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook and stir pancetta until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir pancetta into semolina mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets with 1 1/2 teaspoon butter.
• Spread semolina mixture onto 1 of the prepared baking sheets, about 1/2-inch thick. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• Cut small disks out of cooled semolina using a juice glass or cookie cutter. Place the disks onto the other prepared baking sheet, slightly overlapping the disks. Sprinkle the remaining Grana Padano cheese over disks and dot with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until gnocchi are nicely crisp and golden, about 20 minutes.

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Lightly oil a small baking sheet. Whisk the stock, semolina flour, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture bubbles and is very thick, about 10 minutes. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Gradually beat the semolina mixture into the egg.
• Transfer the gnocchi mixture to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it to form a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Cover and refrigerate until the gnocchi mixture is cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the broiler. Generously butter a 10-inch-diameter gratin dish. Using a 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the gnocchi mixture. Arrange the gnocchi in the prepared baking/gratin dish, overlapping slightly. Brush the remaining butter over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with the cheese, and pepper, if desired. Broil until the gnocchi are heated through and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Whisk together milk, semolina, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until very stiff, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Beat in egg.
• Spread gnocchi mixture 1/2 inch thick on an oiled baking sheet and chill, uncovered, until very firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Cut out rounds from gnocchi mixture with a 2-inch round cookie cutter (push scraps into remaining mixture as you go) and arrange, slightly overlapping, in a well-buttered 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Make a small second layer in center of dish with any remaining rounds. Brush gnocchi with remaining 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Bake in middle of oven until gnocchi are beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ROMAN-STYLE GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Line a rimmed sheet pan with plastic wrap.
• Place milk and salt in a saucepan. Bring almost to a simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles start to break the surface of the milk, gradually whisk in the semolina. Whisk until semolina becomes thick, about 20 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue stirring with a wooden spoon until very thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, grated cheese, and egg yolks. Stir quickly to prevent the yolks from cooking.
• Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out evenly. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to cut, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Brush a round, shallow baking dish with butter.
• Using a round 2 3/4-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles of the semolina dough. Arrange in a circular overlapping pattern in the prepared baking dish.
• With your damp hands, form the scraps of dough into a small ball. Flatten and place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to flatten to the same thickness of the other dough. Cut out a few more rounds and arrange in center of circle.
• Drizzle melted butter over gnocchi and brush it over them evenly. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a generous dusting of grated cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Put the milk in a large saucepan with a pinch of salt and heat until you can see steam rising from it. Whisking all the time, sprinkle in the semolina in a slow and steady stream. The mixture will thicken and become hard to whisk. When all the semolina is in, lower the heat to medium-low and start to beat the mixture with a wooden spoon. Cook until it starts to leave the sides of the saucepan and is very thick. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in half the butter and all the cheese until they are completely incorporated, then add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring until they are mixed in too. Taste the mixture for seasoning.
• Spread the mixture out in a medium (about 30 x 20cm) baking tin to the thickness of about 1.5 cm, making it as smooth as possible. Cover and when cool, put in the fridge to firm up - it will take about 45 mins-1 hr.
• For the sauce, tip everything into a saucepan and season well. Simmer gently for 45 mins, stirring every so often. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Butter a gratin dish or baking dish (about 30cm wide). Using a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out rounds of the gnocchi mixture about 4cm across and lay them, slightly overlapping, in the dish. Melt the rest of the butter and pour it over the top, then scatter a generous amount of parmesan on top. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 mins or until the gnocchi are sizzling on top and golden.
• Take the onion out of the tomato sauce, check the sauce for seasoning and serve with the gnocchi.