gnocchi alla romana — Italy

Gnocchi alla romana are discs cut from a stiff semolina porridge, cooked first on the stove, then layered and finished under the broiler with butter and Parmesan until the tops turn golden. Unlike potato gnocchi, they hold their shape as a firm dough rather than small dumplings. The dish belongs to the cuisine of Rome, though a version also appears in Piedmont, in the country's north, where the generous use of butter fits the region's dairy-forward cooking. Semolina is whisked into hot milk and cooked, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a dense mass. Egg yolk and grated Parmesan are worked in off the heat, and the mixture is spread on a tray to cool and set. Once firm, it is cut into rounds, arranged overlapping in a buttered dish, topped with more butter and Parmesan, and baked or broiled until the surface turns golden and slightly crisp. The Roman preparation seasons the semolina simply, with salt and black pepper, and relies on butter and Parmesan alone at the finish rather than a tomato or meat sauce, letting the milk-thickened semolina itself carry the dish. The Piedmontese version follows the same method but leans even further into butter, in keeping with the north's richer dairy cooking.