Gnocchi alla
Romana
Baked semolina rounds
Semolina cooked in milk becomes tender rounds, layered with butter and cheese and baked until the tops are golden.
Semolina rounds with a golden cheese crustSemolina rounds,
golden at the edges.
Gnocchi alla romana starts with semolina rather than potatoes. Cooked in milk and enriched with egg yolks and cheese, it sets into a firm slab. Rounds cut from that slab overlap in a baking dish, where butter and grated cheese form a golden crust.
The result is closer to a soft gratin than a bowl of boiled dumplings: tender inside, with crisp edges where the rounds peek out. It is a familiar Roman first course, served directly from the oven dish. A short rest helps each portion lift without falling apart.
Explore by food: Rice & grains · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make gnocchi alla romana.
Cook, cool and cut the semolina before its final bake.
Four first-course portions in a 20 × 30 cm baking dish.
What you’ll need
- 1 lwhole milk
- 250 gsemolino, semolina for porridge
- 70 gunsalted butter, divided
- 100 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, divided
- 2large egg yolks
- ½ tspfine salt
- ⅛ tspgrated nutmeg
- ¼ tspblack pepper
- 1 tbspwater, for dampening the tray
Use semolino sold for porridge, not remilled pasta flour. The cooling allowance is 80 minutes, followed by 5 minutes after baking.
How to make it
- 01
Cook the semolina
Heat milk, salt and nutmeg to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Pour in semolina in a steady stream while whisking. Stir over low heat for 10–15 minutes until very thick and pulling from the pan sides.
- 02
Enrich and spread
Take off the heat. Stir in 30 g butter, 70 g cheese, pepper and the yolks, one at a time. Dampen a tray with the tablespoon of water and spread the mixture 1.5 cm thick with a damp spatula.
- 03
Cool until firm
Cool on the tray for 20 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes until firm enough to cut cleanly.
- 04
Arrange the rounds
Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Use 10 g butter to grease the baking dish. Cut 6 cm rounds, placing scraps underneath and overlapping the rounds on top. Dot with the remaining 30 g butter and sprinkle over the remaining 30 g cheese.
- 05
Bake and settle
Bake for 25–30 minutes until browned and hot through the center. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
While you’re in Lazio…
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