Gnocchi alla Romana with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Mom and Dad came to visit this weekend. When Mom came into the house she sat by a stack of cookbooks I had in the living room. It was a big mistake to have everything there because she choose a very time consuming one to make. Oh, goodness. It might be the death of me. We have picked out a bunch of recipes, and now the remainder of Mom and Dad's trip will be spent slaving away in the kitchen.

Here 4 gnocchi patties are layered up in a baking dish.

It looks so good coming out of the oven. I am so glad she convinced me to help make this wonderful dish. They are a flavorful and savory and the perfect second course to our lunch.

Gnocchi alla Romana with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

5 1/2 C milk

3/4 C finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

3 C semolina flour

1/2 C unsalted flour

1 C parmesan or mozzarella, shredded

4 eggs

1 1/2 t fine grain sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slather a 9 x 13 inch dish with butter.

Combine the milk and sun dried tomatoes in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened a bit. Gradually stir in the flour, mixing until it begins to pull away from the side of the pan. This just takes a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in 1/4 C butter, 3/4 C parmesan, the eggs, and the salt. Work in the eggs quickly or they will begin to cook on the hot dough.

Put a glaze of water on the counter and spread the gnocchi into a 3/4 inch slab. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch circles and put them in the baking dish slightly overlapped like a fanned deck of cards. Melt the remaining 1/4 C of butter and drizzle it over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake, uncovered, for 25 more minutes. Serve with the Bright Red Tomato Sauce spooned over the gnocchi.

Bright Red Tomato Sauce

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic

1 t fine grain sea salt

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

Combine the oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt and saute for a few minutes until the garlic begins to take on a bit of color. Stir in the tomatoes and return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with more salt if desired.