Different gnocchi: semolina dumplings

The most well known italians dumpling in the rest of the world are the gnocchi made with potatoes. Never the less we have some other very popular and tasty dumling. They are made of semolina and we call them "gnocchi alla romana", i.e. dumpling at the Roma style.

I have always loved them since I was a child and nowsadays they

are still very approciated at home :)

But now that I prepare them by my own I make a small variation to the traditional recipe and I add some ham to make them if possible even more yummy. If you want a vegetarian dish just skipthe ham.

For 2

½ l milk

125g semolina

30g butter

1 egg

Parmesan

3 ham slices

Salt

Ground nutmeg

Heat the milk with butter and a pinch of salt until boiling.

In the while wet a baking paper sheet and squeeze it. Fold with it a medium size baking tray (20x30cm).  
 

When the milk is boiling add the semolina and go on in cooking and stirring. At the beginning it will be very liquid but after few minutes the mix will start to get thicker. Wait until you have almost a solitd mass and it is not sticking to the pot walls any longer. 

 

Now remove from the heat and mix in while stirring quickly nutmeg, egg, parmesan and the ham cut in small pieces.

 Pour in the tray and level with your hands wetted by cold water.  Let it cool and solidify (approximately 30-60min).
 

In the while take out a smaller tray  and fold it with backing papaer or spread a bit of butter.

When the semolina mix is hard cut in your favourite shape (my Mom always cut them in round shape with a glass, but I am an engineer so I cut it in squares for space optimization) and arrange them in an other tray overlapping a bit each raw to the one before. Finish with some butter and some parmesan.

 
Oven bakeat strong heat  in the higher part aproximately other 20minutes or until crunchy

Whops.. I was too late for the final picture ;-)