Gnocchi alla Romana with Leeks and Speck

Gnocchi alla Romana made following the basic recipe are quite simple. And tasty too, but simple enough to invite variations. Here's a simple gnocchi alla romana with leeks and speck, the glorious smoked ham of the Südtyrol. If you cannot find speck, use Prosciutto. To serve 4:

Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (250 g) semolina
• 2 leeks
• 3 ounces (75 g) speck, in a single thick slice
• 1 quart (1 liter) milk
• 2/3 cup (120 g) unsalted butter
• 3 yolks
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Wash the leeks, cut them into rounds, and sauté them until they wilt in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add a ladle of hot water, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Finely dice the speck and sauté it briefly in a non-stick pan. When the leeks and speck have cooled, combine them with the yolks and 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Bring the milk to a boil with a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup butter; add the semolina in a steady stream, stirring constantly, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, stirring all the while. Work the leek mixture into the semolina, and spread the semolina out into a half-inch (1 cm) layer on your work surface; let it cool for a half hour. Using a moistened glass, cut the semolina into disks and arrange them, partially overlapping, in a buttered pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the gnocchi, melt the remaining butter and drizzle it over them too, and bake the gnocchi for 15 minutes in a preheated 360 F (180 C) oven. Serve at once. A wine, if you're serving them alone? I might go with a Sauvignon Blanc here, if possible unoaked.

Yield: 4 servings gnocchi alla romana with leeks and speck.

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