Gnocchi alla Romana is a wonderfully comforting dish. Bubbling and crispy with cheese on the outside, soft and rich inside, it makes a fantastic side dish with a roasted leg of lamb or even as the center of the plate with grilled asparagus. It was also a trademark dish for my mother-in-law, Marianne, who almost always served it with a thick sirloin steak, grilled to perfection by Bill, her husband, on his faithful Weber Kettle. I wheedled the recipe out of Marianne after my first taste and have made it many times since.
Here in Orthez, grits are not readily available, so it has been a number of years since we’ve had it. However, I recently got the bug to give it a try using the course polenta made from the Béarnais corn variety called Grand Roux Basque – see my earlier post for more info on this local specialty. The results were pretty darn good, although slightly different from the original; the Grand Roux Basque cornmeal is nuttier and more finely ground than grits, so the gnocchi were more robustly flavored (a plus) and a bit softer (a minus). All in all, I’d call it a success that deserves further refinement.
For the recipe, I can offer no better than that written by Marianne herself, pictured below. This original recipe card is a bit of a family heirloom, which I have preserved carefully. Enjoy!
