Gnocchi alla Romana

Americans hear 'gnocchi' and picture soft potato dumplings bobbing in sauce. Romans hear 'gnocchi' and think of this: golden rounds of semolina, overlapped like roof tiles, baked until the butter bubbles and the cheese forms a crust. These are the gnocchi of Rome, and they have nothing to do with potatoes.

The technique is simple but demands attention. You cook semolina in milk until it pulls away from the pot, enrich it with egg yolks and cheese while still hot, then spread it to cool. The cutting comes next: a drinking glass works as well as anything. You arrange the rounds in a buttered dish, shower them with more butter and Parmigiano, and bake until golden. That is all.

This is a contorno, a side dish meant to accompany braised meats or roasted chicken. It is also, I confess, perfectly satisfying eaten on its own with a green salad. Romans have known this for generations. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in: no cream, no garlic, no herbs. Just semolina, milk, butter, eggs, cheese, and the patience to let each element do its work.