Essential · 1 h 15 min, plus 1 hour of chilling · Serves 4
Gnocchi alla romana gratinéed with butter and Parmesan
The same root as the contemporary gnocchi alla romana of the family: discs of semolina cooked in milk, with butter and cheese, gratinéed until they form a golden crust. This version goes back to the baking dish of Roman cooking, with the discs overlapping like roof tiles and a simple butter and sage sauce.
The twist is in cooking the semolina well. It is poured as a rain onto the hot milk, whisking, and cooked until it pulls away from the pot, so it chills firm and the discs cut cleanly and do not fall apart in the oven. The yolk and Parmesan in the dough make it creamy, and the butter and cheese on top make the crust.
Special equipment: tray or dish for chilling the dough; 5–6 cm round cutter; baking dish
Ingredients
Semolina dough
- 1 liter whole milk
- 250 g wheat semolina
- 50 g butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 60 g grated Parmesan-style cheese
- 8 g fine salt
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
Gratin
- 50 g butter, melted
- 50 g grated Parmesan-style cheese
- 8 fresh sage leaves, optional
- Black pepper
Method
Semolina dough
- Cooking. Heat the milk with the salt and nutmeg until about to boil. Lower the heat and pour in the semolina as a rain, whisking constantly so lumps do not form. Switch to a wooden spoon and cook over low heat 8–10 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom, until the dough is very thick, pulls away from the sides and the spoon stands upright for a few seconds.
- Enriching. Turn off the heat and add the butter, then the yolks one at a time, whisking right away so they do not curdle, and finally the cheese.
- Chilling. Pour the dough onto an oiled tray or one lined with parchment paper and spread it with a wet spatula to an even 1.5 cm thickness. Cover with film touching the surface and refrigerate at least 1 hour, until firm.
- Cutting. Cut 5–6 cm discs with a cutter dipped in water. The trimmings can be pressed together and spread again, or cut into squares.
Gratin
- Assembly. Heat the oven to 220 °C (430 °F). Butter the dish and arrange the discs overlapping in rows, like roof tiles. Brush with the melted butter, scatter the chopped sage, the cheese and pepper.
- Oven. Bake 20–25 minutes, until piping hot and the surface is golden and crisp at the edges; if needed, finish 2–3 minutes under the broiler.
The dish
Serve in the same dish, brought to the table on a board, or on hot flat plates. If plating, lift 5–6 discs per person with a wide spatula, without fully separating them, and set them slightly overlapping in a curved row, like roof tiles, with the gratinéed side up. Spoon over the discs the browned butter left at the bottom of the dish, along with the toasted sage if used, and finish with freshly ground pepper. Serve at once, while the crust is crisp and the center is still creamy. Final look: golden discs with toasted, crisp edges, overlapping in a curve, with the shine of butter and dark green dots of sage.
Key points
- Pour in the semolina as a rain and whisk constantly.
- Cook until the dough pulls away from the pot.
- Add the yolks off the heat, whisking right away.
- Chill at least an hour before cutting.
Pairing
A dry white from central Italy or an unoaked Chardonnay. Without alcohol, sparkling water with lemon.
Notes
- Reheating: if the dish was assembled ahead and is cold, bake 25–30 minutes, until the center is hot.