Gnocchi Alla Romana (semolina gnocchi) made with semolina flour, parmesan cheese, milk, and butter. A delicious, cheesy, and traditional Italian side dish!
Gnocchi Alla Romana - Baked Semolina Gnocchi made with semolina flour, parmesan cheese, milk, and butter. A delicious and traditional Italian side dish! #Italian #semolina #gnocchi #cheese #abeautifulplate
GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA
If there is ever a reason to break out the stretchy pants, let this gnocchi alla romana be the culprit. This is serious Italian comfort food. Just look at all of that glorious cheesy goodness!
And since my laptop mysteriously stopped working yesterday, I’m in need of as much as comfort food as I can get my hands on at the moment. This recipe has been in my family for generations. It was one of my grandmother’s favorite dishes and my mom carried on the tradition for us. Best of all, gnocchi alla romana is relatively foolproof and easy to prepare, but does require arm muscle and inactive cooking time.
Don’t let the name fool you. As you can probably tell from the photos, this isn’t your typical homemade gnocchi made with ricotta cheese or cooked potato. Gnocchi alla romana is actually baked semolina and the technique used to make it is very different.
Let’s break out the semolina flour, milk, butter, and parmigiano reggiano cheese and start cooking!
What Is Gnocchi Alla Romana?
To give you a little background on the dish, gnocchi alla romana (sometimes referred to as semolina gnocchi) is made with semolina flour. Semolina flour can be found in most grocery stores and can also be purchased online (affiliate link).
Semolina is the coarse grind of durum wheat (#1), a high-protein wheat variety that is used in traditional pasta making and other preparations.
Any leftover semolina flour from this recipe can be used to make homemade pasta dough. Semolina’s high-protein properties provide pasta dough with strength, structure, and that signature al dente chewiness. It produces a heartier texture than can be achieved through all-purpose flour. Read more about the properties of wheat flour varieties and how to use them here.
Gnocchi alla romana has a slightly crispy outside and soft, buttery, cheesy texture in the inside. The semolina rounds hold their shape, but almost melt into each other. It is classic and elegant stick-to-your-ribs Italian comfort food.
How to Make Gnocchi Alla Romana:
If you’ve ever prepared traditional soft polenta, the cooking method for gnocchi alla romana is very similar to that process. We’ll be heating milk (I use 2%, but whole milk also works!) just short of a boil in a large saucepan and then slowly pouring in the semolina flour.
This mixture cooks over low heat for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the mixture becomes very thick and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
The active cooking on the stovetop requires an arm workout – you’ll be stirring vigorously the entire time – but it is absolutely worth the effort. About halfway through the process, you might start cursing me a bit.
If you have a family member around, this is a great time to enlist stirring help or work in shifts. I like to think of it as an excuse to eat another serving!
Once the semolina cooks and forms a thick, dough-like mass, we’ll be stirring in butter, salt, lots of grated parmigiano cheese (please use the good stuff for this recipe!), freshly grated nutmeg, and lastly two large egg yolks.
The protein and fat in the egg yolks provides the semolina gnocchi with additional structure and lends the final baked dish a rich, custard-like flavor.
The semolina mixture is spread into a thin layer on a half sheet pan, allowed to cool, and is cut into rounds using biscuit cutters. These semolina rounds are overlapped, layered, and placed in a greased baking dish, topped with more cheese and butter (yes, please), and popped into the oven until golden brown and bubbling. It’s the stuff of dreams.
While you could certainly serve the gnocchi alla romana on it’s own, I like to serve it with warm tomato sauce, vegetables or salad (tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette to help cut the richness). It can also be a side dish to traditional proteins. Italians wouldn’t approve of any seafood pairing, but you do you.
Tools and Ingredients Used In This Recipe:
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Please refer to the ‘tips for success’ notes in the recipe box below on ways to prep and make this ahead. Enjoy!