Semolina Gnocchi (Rome)

Pasta

Ingredients

Milk - 5 cups

Semolina - 1 1/2 cups

Salt

Butter - 8 tbsps

Egg yolks, well beaten - 2

Grated Parmesan cheese - 3/4 cup

Bring the milk to a boil in a large pan and sprinkle in the semolina slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps forming. When the semolina is all absorbed, stir energetically, scraping away any from the sides and bottom of the pan and cook over a low heat for about 30 minutes or until thick.

Pour the semolina into a bowl, add 3 tbsps butter, the egg yolks and a little of the parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and spread out on a wetted marble surface or a large plate. Using a wetted spatula, smooth out to about 1/2 inch thickness and leave to get cold. Cut into small circles with a liqueur glass. Generously butter a round fireproof dish. Cover the bottom with a layer of gnocchi and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat this until all the gnocchi and cheese are used up, arranging the layers in such a manner as to form a dome shape, i.e. making each layer small than the previous one. Melt the rest of the butter, pour this over the top and bake in a moderate oven (375F) for about 30 minutes or until the gnocchi are a light golden brown.

Serve the gnocchi in the dish in which they were cooked, very hot, with plenty of additional grated parmesan.

Serves 6