Baked semolina gnocchi with Grana Padano PDO
Chef Danilo Cortellini
When we talk about gnocchi we instantly think of the little fluffy pillows made of potatoes but in reality the word gnocchi is used to describe a very large variaty of preparation that all consists in a doughey mixture shaped into bite size form!
These for example are from Lazio, the region where Rome is and they are made with semolina instead of potatoes and the preparation itslef resemble more that of a classic northern Italian polenta instead of potato gnocchi. The semolina flour (finer grind of durum wheat flour) is in fact cooked in milk and dressed with butter and cheese and once cold and set is shaped into discs and baked to create crispy edges around the fluffly soft center.
These for example are from Lazio, the region where Rome is and they are made with semolina instead of potatoes and the preparation itslef resemble more that of a classic northern Italian polenta instead of potato gnocchi. The semolina flour (finer grind of durum wheat flour) is in fact cooked in milk and dressed with butter and cheese and once cold and set is shaped into discs and baked to create crispy edges around the fluffly soft center.
Chef’s tip
If you prefer, you can obmit the tomatoe sauce and grease the gnocchi with plenty of butter and cheese before baking them until crispy on the surface.