Gnocchi Alla Romana Recipe: How to Make Semolina Gnocchi
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jan 11, 2022 • 2 min read
Learn how to make crispy, cheesy gnocchi alla Romana with semolina flour for the ultimate Italian comfort food.
Learn From the Best
What Is Gnocchi Alla Romana?
Gnocchi alla Romana (Roman gnocchi), also known as semolina gnocchi, is a gnocchi dumpling made with semolina flour that originated in Rome, Italy. Traditionally, cooks chill, cut, and bake the pasta dough with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Gnocchi, Italian for “lumps,” are dumplings often made from mashed potatoes or ricotta combined with just enough flour to hold the dough together. They’re formed by rolling the dough, which sometimes contains eggs as a binding agent, into a thin log and then cutting that into bite-size pieces. Ridges are sometimes added by pressing gnocchi against a fork or ridged wooden gnocchi board. Before potatoes and corn for polenta came to Europe from the Americas, Romans made custardy dumplings from semolina flour.
How to Make Gnocchi Alla Romana
Follow these steps to make gnocchi alla Romana at home:
- 1. Cook the semolina. Bring milk, chicken stock, or vegetable broth to a boil, then add semolina a pinch at a time, constantly whisking to avoid clumping. Then, continue cooking until the semolina forms a thick, dough-like paste and add Parmesan cheese.
- 2. Chill the semolina. Spread the semolina in an even layer in a greased pan and chill until cool and firm. Unlike rolled and cut potato gnocchi and ricotta gnocchi, gnocchi alla Romana is chilled in a solid sheet and then cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.
- 3. Cut the gnocchi. Using a round cookie cutter, stamp out circles of the chilled semolina. Or, to eliminate waste and maximize the yield of gnocchi, use a knife to cut the semolina into squares.
- 4. Assemble the gnocchi. Shingle the gnocchi pieces in a buttered baking dish and baste them with melted butter.
- 5. Bake the gnocchi. Sprinkle the semolina gnocchi with Parmesan Reggiano and bake until the top is crispy and golden brown in spots.
Gnocchi Alla Romana Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
40 mincook time
20 minIngredients
Note: The total time does not include 1 hour of inactive time.
- 1
Brush a large baking dish and a large-rimmed sheet pan or jelly roll pan with melted butter and set aside.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third position.
- 3
In a medium bowl, combine the beaten egg and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- 4
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg; bring to a boil over medium heat.
- 5
Reduce heat to simmer. Whisking constantly, sprinkle a small amount of semolina in at a time. Once all of the semolina is added, switch to a wooden spoon, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
- 6
Stirring constantly, stir the egg mixture into the semolina. Spread the semolina mixture in the prepared baking sheet pan in an even layer, using wet fingers as needed to smooth the dough. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
- 7
Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut pieces of gnocchi.
- 8
Shingle the gnocchi rounds in the prepared baking pan.
- 9
Pour unsalted butter over the gnocchi and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
- 10
Bake the gnocchi until the tops are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.
- 11
Finish the pasta with a few cracks of black pepper and more grated Parmesan, as desired.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Massimo Bottura, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.