Testaccio's Gnocchi alla Romana

You all know my mother is from Rome, right? Una vera romana, she can swagger and gesticulate with the best of them. And she's pretty cute, if it's still alright to say that about a woman of a certain age. She's the lady who taught me how to pan-fry thin little pork chops with slices of raw lemon until crisp and juicy and totally delectable. She's the one whose Parmesan broth with tiny noodles is still the only thing I want to eat when I'm sick. And its her tomato sauce that, simmering on the stove, makes any house my home.

She is, however, not a cook. By her own admission. My career path mystifies her. She loves to eat, but cooking is not her bag. She masters the simple, but leaves the complicated to restaurants, Sicilian brother-in-laws, her strange daughter, or the hallowed halls of her childhood memories. When I called her the other night to tell her I was making gnocchi alla romana, a classic Roman dish of little semolina pucks baked in the oven and served with tomato sauce, her voice registered only disbelief.

"You're going to make them? Yourself? From scratch?" She might as well have said, "why on earth would you ever bother?"

Told you she thinks I'm strange.

The thing is, semolina gnocchi really aren't that hard. You cook semolina with milk and butter until creamy and pulling away from the sides of the pot, sort of like polenta. You mix in some cheese and egg yolks and spread this mass out onto a baking sheet. Later, using a cookie cutter, you stamp out little rounds, tuck them into a baking dish, dust them with more cheese and dot them with butter and stick them in the oven until lightly crisped around the edges and browned. Yes, that's about it.

Oh, and that tomato sauce is so easy you could practically do it with one hand tied behind your back, whistling. (Though the slices of garlic were a little unsightly.) I didn't have any cookie cutters for the semolina gnocchi, so I tried to improvise with an egg cup. That was sort of a bust. I ended up finishing the job with a sharp knife, cutting little rounds out by hand which was far less fussy than it sounds.

What's important in this recipe is one small little thing: salt. Oh, ho. Yes. The amount of salt you add can and will be the difference between insipid baby food and something rather delicious. Which is why I found it so annoying that the recipe doesn't stipulate the amount of salt needed. I put in about a teaspoon and, sadly, my gnocchi tended very much towards the insipid. So try at least two teaspoons and taste taste taste as you go. If I made these again, I'd also double the amount of Parmesan used, and I'd put most of it in the semolina batter and only a little bit on top of the gnocchi.

This recipe made an enormous amount of gnocchi, but only a rather modest amount of sauce. The sauce is so nice that it's a shame to have too little of it. So I'd double that, if I were you. Leftovers, if you've got any, are easy enough to get rid of on your spaghetti dinner the next evening. The gnocchi need that acidic, juicy kick of sauce to give them some spine.

And here's the last thing about semolina gnocchi: you must eat them when they're fresh and when they're hot. I know, I know: Italians and their food rules. But really, listen up. If you've got leftovers, too bad. Do not attempt to eat them the next day. You will regret it. Instead, invite some friends over and impress the pants off of them with dinner. Make them scrape up every last gnocco and be glad you don't have any left to throw out.

Gnocchi alla Romana
Makes 6 servings

1 quart plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 5- to 6-ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 14.5-ounce cans chopped tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, nutmeg, salt and 4 tablespoons butter. Bring just to a boil, lower heat to medium and immediately start adding semolina in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Keep whisking to make a smooth mixture. Reduce heat to very low and cook, stirring, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in most of the cheese and the egg yolks.

2. Use some of the oil to grease a baking sheet. Spread hot batter on baking sheet to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until very cold, 4 hours or overnight.

3. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan, add garlic and onions, cook until soft and add tomatoes. Simmer gently about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use a little remaining butter to grease a shallow baking dish about 9 by 13 inches. Use a 2- to 3-inch round cookie cutter or a glass to cut disks of chilled dough. Keep dipping cutter in cold water to prevent sticking. Lift disks off baking sheet and arrange, slightly overlapping, in baking dish. Scraps can be kneaded briefly and smoothed out to allow for a few additional disks. Sprinkle disks in dish with remaining cheese and dot with remaining butter. Bake about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

5. Gently reheat sauce. Serve gnocchi with some sauce alongside each portion.

Comments

[rach]

Love it, the post and the gnocchi.
I on the other hand will never be una vera Romana (sigh) but I do live in Rome with a Sicilian (Testaccio in fact, right next to the market - which is moving next year by the way, not far but moving) Ah yes, the food rules, living with both Roman and Sicilian ones is a headspin especially for an 'English barbarian' like me.
I know how delicious these semolina gnocchi are, so it's about time I tried to make them,
Thanks for the recipe.

[Bianca]

I've been lurking for quite a while. I love your blog and this recipe looks awesome! Willkommen in Berlin, uebrigens! Ich hoffe, die Kaelte jagt dich nicht gleich wieder zurueck in die Staaten. :-) Bestimmt wird's bald besser und bis dahin geniesse ich dein koestliches Rezept! :-) LG!

[the lacquer spoon]

Your home-made gnocchi looks so warm and inviting even after my supper :)

[Victoria]

Luisa,

This sounds delicious.

Hmm. Thin pork chops with raw lemon. Sounds delicious. I hope your book will have your personal recipes in it.

It seems to me - I might be wrong about this - that Marcella says never to put onions and garlic in a tomato sauce together so I don't. But you've never steered me wrong - I make your pasta with ricotta all the time - so I'm interested to try the sauce - and the gnocchi, of course.

[montague]

yuuum. love gnocchi alla romana. we never made them at home but 'esselunga' always sold good ones... even if already made.
maybe now i should make them at home and get my fix!

[Dawn]

We made spinach gnocchi in class last night and everyone was so amazed at how simple and delicious they were. I have never tried them with semolina so these are going on my list. A question about freezing though. I have always frozen any shaped but not cooked gnocchi on a sheet pan and then in a zip lock bag to be cooked at a later time. Would that work here with the uncooked semolina?

[Char]

When I spent time in Italia... we used to have Gnocchi cook-ffs...one batch of semolina and one batch of potato...
There should be a National Gnocchi day...because they are heavenly.
Thanks for sharing.
Char

[Tracy (Amuse-bouche for Two)]

I've never eaten gnocchi made with semolina. However, we did sit down to a hearty bowl of potato gnocchi this past sunday supper. Topped with the requisite red sauce and followed by the most tender meatballs one could ever wish to eat. If meatballs had a bone, they'd be falling off of it, they were sooo...good. I digress.

[Fran]

And, as a vera romana, Gnocchi is the thing to eat on Thursdays. An early morning trip to the market will reveal buckets full of freshly made gnocchi that, by noon, will be almost gone. Gracias Luisa, I LOVE the airy, ethereal in fact, Roman gnocchi, and I hope this recipe sends me back to Rome. Can't wait to try. I'll make them for dinner with Kiko tonight, I may make a sage sauce though.

[Jennifer J]

Fresh gnocchi makes me all weak and swoony. Although I haven't tried my hand at a recipe, I'm charmed by your enthusiasm for the ease of this recipe enough to give it a go on my own. Cheers!

[Laura]

This dish looks so wholesome and homely. Just beautiful.

Parmesan broth with tiny noodles sounds equally delicious! I'd love to see that recipe, if you decide to share it.

[Katie @ Cozydelicious]

Oh, these look lovely. Very homey and warm and tasty. I have made plenty of potato gnocchi - lots of rolling and cutting - but never gnocchi alla romana. I'm going to have to give them a shot! They look wonderful. And as for food rules, well, I've never been a fan of rules. But I do trust your judgement about these things totally and will promise to eat my gnocchi fresh!

[ChefDylan - From Cook to Chef Blog]

If I hadn't have met Gordon Ramsay today, my walk home in the chilly Surrey afternoon would have left me in need of some soul warming nourishment like this gnocchi, something I used to eat after a particularly chilly morning of a rugby pitch.

[Ana]

This looks delicious, and reminds me of something sort of related, which is that I had the most amazing pasta at Maedchenitaliener in Mitte when I visited Berlin last year. It was something with poppyseeds...anyway, it was awesome, and I'm very jealous that you could eat it without having to take a plane first.

I'm definitely making these gnocchi.

[The Single Gal]

I just made potato gnocchi for the first time & I was so thrilled with how easy they are! Your tips were all 100% on the money - the salt makes it. Next frontier? Semolina gnocchi - thanks!

[Luisa]

Bianca - die Kälte tut ihr Bestes, aber ich bin hartnäckig und bleibe noch... :)

Victoria - the garlic slices are weird, I threw them out at the end of the cooking. But the sauce was delicious.

Dawn - potato gnocchi are really different than these ones, and hardier. I would not freeze these - I would make and eat them right away.

Fran - I love thinking of you guys eating these for dinner tonight. Hugs and besitos to you three.

Ana - thanks for the tip! I'll have to check that place out.

[Erika from The Pastry Chef At Home]

Yes, Italians and their food rules. I married an Italian and am constantly amazed by all the dos and don'ts and fussiness involved regarding his family and food. This is a good thing though - high standards are to be admired. I make a point not to stray from the Nonna's recipes when I courageously cook Italian dishes for him!

ps: I'm interested in these pan fried pork chops with raw lemon. A recipe would be enthusiastically welcomed! :)

[Bianca]

Freut mich zu hoeren! Falls du mal dringend ins Warme musst, empfehle ich dir das Cafe Bilderbuch in der Akazienstr. 28. In deinem Blog habe ich Bilder vom Victoria-Luisen-Platz gesehen und das Cafe Bilderbuch ist davon nicht allzu weit und wirklich empfehlenswert in Punkto Waerme und Behaglichkeit. :-)

[deb]

You're killing me. Because I saw the slideshow on Rome last week with the picture of this dish and my brain since has been nothing but MUSTGOROME MUSTEATTHATGNOCCHI but did I, I don't know, check to see if they'd just printed the photo to torture people or if they'd actually supplied the recipe as well? No, I did not. But I am glad you did because now I know it lives up to my drool over it and can probably have it at home sooner that I will make it to Rome. Sigh.

[Pam]

I made the "Cauliflower and Potato Gratin" this week. Amazing!! Love your blog and can't wait for your book!

[gemma]

you are spoiling us. couldn't believe there was another blog entry today. Shouldn't you be writing that book? xoxox

[Annie Browne]

I'm very excited to try these little babies! I've tried to make potato gnocchi and had a bit of a hard time. Sounds like I might be able to pull these off, with your visual aids and recipe variations. Yay, you! Thanks!!!
Annie

[Andrea]

That looks delicious. And I think pan-fried pork chops with lemon sounds even better. Will you share that recipe?

[Patrice]

These look just perfect, Luisa. Thank you for this wonderful post. I'm going to make these assuming that the recipe already incorporates the adjustments you recommend. I think it's safe to say your mojo is definitely back!

[Jessika]

In an earlier post you touched upon the difference on baking. On sugar, you should try vollrohrzucker, the ecological from Rapadura is a good one. There's a light and a dark.

[tara]

It's freaking cold outside, that gnocchi would be pretty much the bestest thing I could imagine right now.

And we're greedy. No leftovers to worry about. All in the name of keeping warm, don't ya know.

[Nestnestnest]

This gnocci looks fabulous - will print out recipe and try it out tomorrow - maybe make with my kids - would love to post it on my blog http://nestnestnest.blogspot.com which is an interior design/entertaining blog, updated monthly. Each month I try to take one fabulous recipe from a friend or fellow blogger to add to the historical content on design and my tips on entertaining.....stop by. best, tamara stephenson

[Ahnleh.blogspot.com]

Oh, those look heavenly... I've never made gnocci from scratch before but I definitely will now. This recipe is definitely on my must try list. Especially since I've only had potato gnocci before.

[kellypea]

Sounds delicious -- especially considering the tang of the tomato sauce. Making my hard-boiled egg breakfast feel even more non-existent that my stomach thinks it is.

[Renee Fontes]

I have been reading your blog and enjoy your posts. I am passing the "Honest Scrap" Award, that was given to me. This is given from one blogger to ten chosen for their honesty,inspiration,passion and soul. Part of the award is to share ten honest things about yourself then pass the award to ten others details are on my blog.
Thank you!
Renee

[kristinek]

Gnocchi cooling in the fridge. It's gonna be a good day.

[heidib]

yummy! i love gnocchi and this sounds amazing.

also, can you post your mother's recipe for those pork chops? they sound amazing also!

[laura]

Hello Luisa, I had everything for this dish today, and since we are having a rare snow in near VA Beach this weekend, I thought I'd give it a a go on this slow afternoon. It was delicious! The only small change I made was reducing the nutmeg a smidge to taste and serving the gnocchi and sauce on top of some ricotta cheese I have been needing to finish up. Thank you for introducing me to this recipe!

[kickpleat]

I tried gnocchi only once and wasn't a fan. Probably because it was store-bought and gummy. I'd love to make my own and seeing your recipe, it looks simple enough for a nervous gnocchi-maker like myself. Your mother sounds adorable.

[I'm a Hungry Bunny These Days]

Nice to see a positive post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Luisa]

Bianca - danke für den Tipp!

Pam - thank you!

Gemma - hem, haw....errr...

Patrice - it does indeed. Enjoy!

Kickpleat - storebought gnocchi are awful, I'm not surprised you didn't like them! If you're feeling adventurous, homemade potato gnocchi are a thing of beauty.

[Emily]

I would love to have the recipe for your mom's parmesan broth with tiny noodles - that sounds right up my alley!

[tobias cooks!]

I often do them from scratch. I love this Roman recipe!

[Lisa (dinner party)]

Now I feel silly for looking for pre-made gnocchi at the grocery store last weekend...this sounds so easy! And the tomato sauce too.

[Hungry Bunny]

Embarrassed to admit this, but I tried a potato gnocchi recipe made with dry potato flakes and was totally shocked that it was actually very good. Who could have known?

[Hungry Bunny]

...am going to try your recipe now...can't wait!

[Dawn (KitchenTravels)]

Next time, try cutting them with an inverted champagne flute or port glass. ;)

Great to see you posting again. xo

[cj]

Friends of mine are going to visit Berlin at Easter,after listening to me rave about it for ages. I have my list of recommended eating spots, but since they basically revolve around CAKE, they may go into a diabetic coma while on holiday, and forget most of the trip. Where do you like to grab a bite in Berlin? Much obliged, cj.

[cj]

Now, that's where do you like to grab a bite to EAT. No kinky stuff, you understand.

[Jennifer]

Luisa, my mouth is literally watering. I mean, hand me a hankie for the drool. I must try these very, very soon.

[Amy]

My mom just hooked me up to your site - - cool blog!

[my spatula]

gnocchi has been on the to-do list since driving from switzerland to italy, and eating so well there and back. ok, 2010 will finally be the year. hopefully they will turn out as lovely as yours.

[Jan (Fmaily Bites)]

Mmm...delicious. What fab recipes you have here - I've already bookmarked several for the marathon cooking I hope to do this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

[Jacqui]

I just discovered a recipe for semolina gnocchi and thought I'd try it one of these days. This however makes me want to get my butt in gear and make it now! Looks delicious!

[wine of the month club]

It's not crazy to love food and the preparation of it. I think those who love to cook truly appreciate the wonders of others cooking as well.