Livio Jannattoni, one of the great Roman gastronomes, says he grew up eating potato gnocchi, and first encountered Gnocchi alla Romana made with semolina in a dining car on a train far from the city.
"Where were the potatoes I knew so well? Horrors! These gnocchi were made just with semolina..." He does give a recipe for them, however, because some (not all) other Roman authors do.
"Where were the potatoes I knew so well? Horrors! These gnocchi were made just with semolina..." He does give a recipe for them, however, because some (not all) other Roman authors do.
Prep Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (250 g) semolina
- 1 quart (1 liter) milk
- 2 brimming cups (100 g) grated Parmigiano
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2-3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- Salt
Preparation:
Bring the milk to a boil, and gradually stir in the semolina, stirring constantly to prevent lumps and keep the mixture from sticking to the pot. The mixture will become quite thick; continue cooking and stirring for about 20 minutes, and remove the pot from the fire. Beat the yolks with a little more milk, and add them to the semolina, together with the cheese, solid butter, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and spread the mixture a little less than a half an inch thick (1 cm) on your work surface.
Let the semolina cool for 2 hours, and cut it into squares or diamonds. Butter a pan and layer the squares in it, spreading a little more grated cheese between the layers (there should be 3-4). When all is used up, sprinkle the melted butter over the gnocchi, slowly, to allow it to penetrate.
Bake the gnocchi 15 minutes in a hot (400 F or 200 C) oven, until golden, and serve at once. A wine? White, for example Orvieto Bianco, or Est! Est! Est!
Yield: 4-6 servings Gnocchi alla Romana
Let the semolina cool for 2 hours, and cut it into squares or diamonds. Butter a pan and layer the squares in it, spreading a little more grated cheese between the layers (there should be 3-4). When all is used up, sprinkle the melted butter over the gnocchi, slowly, to allow it to penetrate.
Bake the gnocchi 15 minutes in a hot (400 F or 200 C) oven, until golden, and serve at once. A wine? White, for example Orvieto Bianco, or Est! Est! Est!
Yield: 4-6 servings Gnocchi alla Romana
