PUMPKIN & SEMOLINA SPICY SAVORY PIE: TWIST OF AN ITALIAN RECIPE
This dish is made using the traditional “Gnocchi alla Romana” dough. Instead of making gnocchi, I transformed the dough into a savory pie with pumpkin purée and walnuts. Although “Gnocchi alla Romana” is an ancient Italian recipe, it is believed to have originated in Piedmont due to its rich use of butter.
Ingredients for 4-6 servings:
• 12.5 oz pumpkin
• 2 oz butter
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cumin
• 9 oz semolina flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 small eggs (or 1 large egg)
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ cup finely minced walnuts
Note: Feel free to adjust the quantity and types of spices to suit your taste.
Instructions:
1. Clean the pumpkin, removing seeds and fibrous strands, and cut it into small chunks.
2. Boil the pumpkin in salted water until it becomes fork-tender. Drain, mash, and set it aside to cool.
3. While the pumpkin is boiling, finely mince the walnuts. Sauté the minced walnuts in a tablespoon of melted butter and set them aside.
4. In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil, then reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the semolina flour until the mixture thickens.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in ⅔ of the Parmesan and the remaining butter.
6. Add the cooled pumpkin purée, spices (pepper, nutmeg, cumin, and paprika), and eggs, mixing thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick and uniform.
7. Spread the mixture evenly into a baking tray to a thickness of about one inch.
8. Top with small curls of butter, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan, and distribute the sautéed walnuts over the surface.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20 minutes, then broil for an additional 3 minutes to achieve a golden top.
Allow it to cool before serving. Enjoy warm!!
