Italian Appetizer (Antipasti) Recipes - Roman Style Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Romana) Recipe

Ingredients

• 900 ml/3 3/4 cups milk

• 1 sprig of rosemary

• 225 g/8 oz/1 1/3 cups semolina (cream of wheat)

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

• 175 g/6 oz/1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• Flour, for dusting

• Freshly grated nutmeg

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Method:

1. Put the milk in a saucepan with the rosemary. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Remove the rosemary.

2. Stir in the semolina, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and stir in half the butter and 100 g/4 oz/1 cup of the cheese.

3. Season well with salt and pepper. Gradually beat the eggs into the mixture. Turn into a greased shallow baking tin (pan) and chill for 2 hours until firm.

4. Cut into squares, then roll into walnut-sized balls with lightly floured hands. Use a little of the remaining butter to grease an ovenproof dish.

5. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer in the dish. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and some grated nutmeg. Melt the remaining butter and drizzle over the surface.

6. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4 for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Serve straight away.