Gnocchi alla Romana Cooking Recipe
They might be called gnocchi alia Romana (in the Roman style), but this recipe is widespread throughout Italy. The simplicity of the recipe has contributed to its success. It is a baked gratin of semolina gnocchi that can be prepared in advance.
Serves 6
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups (1 liter) milk
- 3 cups (8 oz./250 g) medium-fine semolina
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons (2 ½ oz./70 g) butter
- 2/3 cup (4 oz./120 g) grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano if possible)
- Salt
Cooking Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bring the milk to a boil, add a pinch of salt. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly pour in the semolina, whisking well to avoid lumps forming (1). Cook for 10 minutes mixing continuously.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, 3 Vz tablespoons (1 % oz./50 g) of the butter (2) and Vs cup (2 Vz oz./70 g) of the Parmesan.
- Turn out the mixture onto a wet surface (marble is ideal) (3) and spread with a spatula to a thickness of Vz in. (1 cm) (4). Let cool, then cut out rounds using a glass or cookie cutter (5).
- Butter a baking dish and cover the base with a layer of the rounds (6), interspersed with the cutting-out leftovers. Cover evenly with the rest of the gnocchi, slightly overlapping.
- Dot with the remaining butter, and sprinkle on the . remaining Parmesan (7). Bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve very hot.
Chef’s notes
- You can add vegetable puree to the basic recipe to make colored gnocchi and you can replace the Parmesan with other cheeses (Gorgonzola, for example).
- You can also put cooked vegetables (asparagus tips) or herbs on the gnocchi before finally sprinkling them with the cheese prior to baking.
Pumpkin Gnocchi Cooking Recipe – Gnocchi di zucca Recipe
Gnocchi can be prepared with different sorts of vegetables: carrots, zucchini, eggplants, etc.
Serves 6
- Preparation time: 50 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 lb. (1 kg) pumpkin
- 2 cups (6 oz./200 g) flour
- 1 egg
- 1 stick (4 oz./120 g) butter
- 2 sage leaves, chopped
- ½ cup (3 oz./80 g) grated Parmesan
- Salt
Cooking Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Cut the pumpkin into quarters, and roast for approximately 30 minutes. Remove the flesh using a spoon (1) and crush it with a fork.
- Make a well in the flour and place the pumpkin flesh in the middle with the egg and salt, stir thoroughly until evenly mixed (2).
- The quantity of flour varies depending on the consistency of the pumpkin. Stop adding it when the dough is firm enough to shape.
- Shape the gnocchi using two spoons (3, 4) and immerse them in a large quantity of lightly salted boiling water (5). Remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the surface.
- Melt the butter with the sage in a saucepan and add this sauce to the gnocchi, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve hot.
- You can replace the Parmesan with grated smoked ricotta or add meat stock to the gnocchi to flavor them.
Did you know?
Pumpkin gnocchi belong mainly to the culinary tradition of Lombardy and Friuli. Every year, the last Friday of the Verona Carnival is led by “Papa Gnocchi,’’ who carries a giant fork topped with gnocchi. This is in honor of Tomasso da Vico, who is said to have donated the ingredients for gnocchi to the starving citizens of Verona after a terrible famine in 1531. Gnocchi is handed out to Veronese citizens at the festival to this day.
