You know those dishes that just can’t get enough of? Not the ones you can make whenever you want, but, say, your take-out staples. You know that even if you source the recipe, you're still likely to find yourself lamenting that you just can't recreate it to a tee.
That’s how I feel – correction, felt – about this Roman-style gnocchi topped with a kaleidoscopic hodgepodge of diced veggies and flower petals. The dish appears on our Milan-based cooking school's lunch delivery menu, and I vividly remember my first time. I still can't stop thinking about how the crisp, lightly sautéed veggies complemented the gnocchi's delicately sturdy texture. Each bite packed crunch and flavor, and I rued the final forkful.
This gnocchi recipe appeared in the April issue of our Italian edition. I've already given it a whirl, and we decided to share it here so our international readers can craft a taste of our dear Milan at home.
As for me? I'll keep lunching on it during the week, but I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to make it once it comes off the menu – which I’m hoping isn't for eons. The beauty of the recipe? You can swap the vegetables however you see fit according to the season.
Gnocchi alla Romana With Mixed Vegetables and Petals
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri
Recipe: Giovanni Rota
Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients for 4
2 cups + 1 Tbsp/500 g. milk
10 oz./300 g. mixed vegetables (carrots and courgettes young, red onion, and peas)
¾ cup/125 g. semolina
butter
edible flowers
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
extra-virgin olive oil
nutmeg
salt
pepper
Make the gnocchi
Boil the milk with 3⅓ Tbsp. (50 g ) butter, then pour in the semolina and mix with a whisk.
Switch to a spatula then add salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook for 6-8 minutes.
Spread the semolina between two sheets of parchment paper.
Roll out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1″ (3 cm) then let cool.
Make the vegetables
Cut the zucchini and carrots into small chunks, then dice the spring onion into very thin slices.
Once the semolina is cold, cut out discs 1½ - 2″ (4-6 cm) in diameter.
Arrange the gnocchi in a buttered baking dish in overlapping rows. Flavor with butter and Parmigiano, and place in the oven to brown.
Brown the spring onion in a thin layer of oil for 1-2 minutes, then add all the other vegetables and continue cooking over heat for 6-8 minutes.
Remove the gnocchi from the oven, which will be golden by now, and add the browned vegetables. Finish with the edible flower petals and serve.