Semolina flour gnocchi with ham

Semolina is a yellow flour made from durum wheat, that is the main ingredient of pasta. It is usually used in baking to flour the baking surface to prevent sticking. Today I used it in a very traditional Italian recipe (from Rome): semolina gnocchi. Compared to the standard potato gnocchi, the semolina ones are creamier and baked, not boiled.

semolina hearts

I like comparing semolina gnocchi to the American “mac&cheese” recipe: easy, fast and comforting. Like “mac&cheese” kids love this recipe and you can play with the extra ingredient to add. Today I opted for ham, but you can go even healthier with peas, carrots, broccoli or other veggies 🙂

You can also play with the shape of the gnocchi. Being San Valentine this week, heart shape was a must, but any shape you like works! The traditional recipe uses round shape cookie cutters.

semolina gnocchi

Where to start? place the milk in a sauce pan with a pinch of salt at medium heat and let it boil. Yes, the milk technically doesn’t boil…when you will see that tiny bubbles are formed around the corners and a tiny layer of milk is thickening on the surface, that’s when the milk is “boiling”.

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Add the semolina flour slowly and whisk everything. the semolina will almost immediately thicken forming a nice cream. Turn the heat off and add the other ingredients: the egg yolks, the butter, the Parmesan cheese, the ham. Stir everything together.

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Place the mix on a parchment paper on a baking tray and level it with a spatula in order to obtain a 3/4 inch thick layer. Let it cool down for 30min.

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Use any cookie cutter of your choice to cut out semolina gnocchi and place them in a oven proof tray one next to the other or even slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top and, if you want, some butter (totally optional!).

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Bake the gnocchi in the oven at 200F for 15 minutes and broil them for an additional 5 minutes in order to give them a nice golden look! Serve them warm and enjoy!

2 Comments

Did you make this recipe? Share the love, tag @buonapappa on Instagram and hashtag it #buonapappa I would love to see your creations!

  • Reply
    30 Comfort Food Recipes With Class - My Life, Blogged.
    September 6, 2014 at 2:34 pm

    […] Semolina Flour Gnocchi with Ham […]

  • Reply
    Elaine
    April 12, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    hello can I freeze the left overs?

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