‘Roman-style’ gnocchi with Gorgonzola Piccante

Method:

Peel the onion and cut into quarters; bring the milk to the boil, remove from the heat and leave the onion, the unpeeled clove of garlic and the bay leaf to infuse in a covered pan for an hour, then filter the milk. Bring the milk almost to the boil again, add the diced butter and the tsp of salt, and then slowly sprinkle over the semolina. Whisk until the mixture thickens.
Add a pinch of cinnamon and white pepper and whisk briskly, cooking over a low heat for approximately fifteen minutes. This step is important as it allows the mixture to dry, creating firmer gnocchi. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan and the Pecorino cheese and leave to cool down slightly; melt the two egg yolks in a tablespoon of warm milk and add them to the mixture, with a bottom-up movement to avoid the mixture becoming rubbery and to make it lighter. Prepare two sheets of baking paper, pour the mixture onto the first sheet and cover it with the second. Using a rolling pin, apply slight pressure and roll out the mixture to a thickness of approximately 2 cm.
Leave to cool for approximately one hour. With a pastry cutter measuring 4-5 cm in diameter, cut out semolina medallions, immersing the pastry cutter in cold water each time, if necessary. Knead the dough shapes by using your hands to fold them in between the two sheets of baking paper. Use the dough cutter again to cut out more gnocchi. Heat the oven to 200°C, grease an ovenproof dish and arrange the gnocchi on top, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, a few pieces of butter and a generous quantity of Gorgonzola Piccante flakes.
Place the gnocchi in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until they become light golden brown in colour. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving. They’re even more tasty when eaten hot.