Baked Semolina Gnocchi with Oregano and Tomato Sauce

Hello Dear Reader,

As promised, here is the most wonderful recipe for baked semolina gnocchi, it is as easy as easy can be and it works perfectly every time. I first learnt how to make this kind of gnocchi when I did a chefs skills course with Vanilla Zulu a few years ago, back then we rolled the still warm "dough" into a long sausage shape, cut it up into small pieces, shaped it into smallish ovals then rolled it down a gnocchi paddle.

Well, I didn't want all that faff, so I simply poured the gnocchi "dough" into a greased and lined baking tray, let it cool and set then cut out smallish circles and arranged them on top of a simple tomato sauce, I then sprinkled over some dried oregano and parmesan and baked it. See, simple! It is just so delicious and it looks gorgeous too.

Italian Nona's will probably not be pleased with this recipe as it doesn't use potato at all, but I find potatoes are a bit hit and miss where as semolina is always the same and you can trust that you will get the same result time after time.

Here's how it came together in my kitchen-

Ingredients for Baked Semolina Gnocchi with Oregano and Tomato Sauce, clockwise from centre top-4 cups of milk (I use powdered milk) 2 heaped tablespoons of flaked almonds roasted in a non stick fry pan till golden, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, 1 cup of semolina, 1 egg, whisked, a can of diced tomatoes, 1 1/4 cups of grated parmesan and a jar of your favourite tomato pasta sauce

In a large heavy based saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, turn heat down to medium and slowly add the semolina while whisking 

Once the semolina and milk start to thicken, turn heat to low and continue whisking for 5 to 10 minutes or until really nice and thick, you will need a good strong whisk for this process. Once nicely thickened take it off the heat and add the whisked egg and 3/4 cup of grated parmesan

To a 20 cm x 30 cm greased and lined baking tray, pour and scrape the dough into the tray, smoothing the top with a spatula, the mixture will now be quite thick and solid

Top with another piece of silicon paper and leave to cool completely. On the day I made it, I made it up to this point in the morning and then put it in the fridge while I was at work all day. 

In a large greased casserole dish (similar dimensions to the baking tray) add the can of diced tomatoes, the jar of your favourite tomato pasta sauce and one and a half teaspoons of dried oregano, give it a really thorough mix

Using a 5 cm round cutter, cut out circles of semolina gnocchi and lay them on top of the tomato sauce in a single layer. Sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan and the last 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano 

Bake in a 200 C for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly, top with roasted flaked almonds and serve. As always every oven is different so keep an eye on them.

Grate over extra parmesan to finish the dish

As I dislike waste of any kind, with the leftover bits I poured over some oil (I used a chilli infused olive oil) and grated some more parmesan over the top and baked them till crisp and golden. 

These little off cuts were sensational, crisp on the outside and soft and gorgeous on the inside, please do this, they are so worth the extra effort.

So there you go, another fabulous dish which came about because of my freezer and pantry challenge, this is my favourite dish so far and will definitely be making it again very soon. I hope you'll try this one and if you do don't forget to email me a photo of your finished dish, I can then post it on the "Did you make it? Show us" page on my blog. 

Have a lovely day

💗Fi

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