Zucchini Gnocchi with Zucchini Sauce

My parents grow among other things zucchini in their garden. And the last time I visited them, my suitcase was almost empty on the way back. So I filled that space with zucchinis. I ate lots of zucchini dishes in the following two weeks.

This was the first time I made gnocchi. I think they turned out pretty good. And it isn't as hard to make them as I thought.

The gnocchi themselfes didn't really taste like zucchini. But I already thought that would be the case, hence the zucchini sauce. And I was rather surprised how well the dried tomatoes went with it.

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Zucchini Gnocchi with Zucchini Sauce

Sauce

20 g pine nuts
1 jar dried tomatoes, in oil
3 scallions
150 g zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Fry the pine nuts in a frying pan without oil until they are gold braun. Put aside for later.
2. Let the tomatoes drip off and cut them into small pieces. Put aside for later.
3. Wash the scallions and dab them dry. Cut them into slices. Put aside for later.
4. Bring water in a small sauce pan to a boil.
5. Wash the zucchini and dab it dry. Cut it into rough slices.
6. Blanch the zucchini in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Take them out and let them drip off.
7. Put the zucchini with the oil in a foodprocessor and blend them together until they reach a creamy consistency.
8. Season with salt and pepper.

Gnocchi

4 cups zucchini
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup basil
3 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups ricotta
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup parmesan
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Grate the zucchini.
2. Put the zucchini into a colander and mix the salt in. Leave it for at least 20 minutes. Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can. First with bare hands, than with a paper towel.
3. Chop the basil.
4. Grate the lemon zest.
5. Grate the parmesan.
6. Put the zucchini, the basil, the zest, the ricotta, the egg yolks and the parmesan into a bowl and mix it together with a wooden spoon.
7. Season with pepper.
8. Add flour until the dough reaches a consistency with wich you can work. The less flour you use so much the better.
9. Dust your working surface generously with flour.
10. Roll the dough into 2,5 cm thick strings. Cut the string into 2 cm thick pieces. If you want, you can roll the pieces over a gnocchi board or use a fork to get the typical grooves.
11. Bring water to a boil in big sauce pan.
12. Put the gnocchi in the pan and cook them until they swim at the top. Stir constantly.
13. Take the gnocchi out with a slotted ladle.

Serve the gnocchi with the sauce and the pine nuts, the scallions and the tomatoes strewn on top.

Bon appétit!!