Ricotta Gnocchi With the Works

Do you know what's a great pairing? Ricotta and tomatoes. Burrata and tomatoes. Zucchini and tomatoes. Fresh herbs, garlic,... you get the picture. This dish is a love letter to tomatoes as the season is coming to a close soon. Each ingredient screams summer; however, the last thing you're going to want to do after eating this is to get into a swimsuit. Nevertheless, it's guaranteed to satisfy! Don't let the word gnocchi scare you off, I promise you it is easier than people make it seem.

~Makes 4 servings~

Ingredients:

Crispy chickpeas:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas

1 T olive oil

1 t salt

1 t red pepper flakes

Ricotta gnocchi:

2 c ricotta cheese

1 .5 c flour

0.5 c parmesan

2 eggs+ 1 yolk

1 T fresh thyme

1 t salt

0.5 t pepper

1 t garlic powder

Tomato Sauce:

1 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 large heirloom tomato, sliced into wedges

0.5 c white wine

fresh basil leaves

Zucchini:

1 T unsalted butter**

1 small shallot, minced

1 large zucchini, spiralized (or cut into thin strips)

Gremolata:

zest of 1 small lemon

0.25 c fresh basil leaves

0.25 c fresh parsley

1 T fresh thyme

1 T olive oil

-burrata cheese for topping-

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the chickpeas, drain and dry off the chickpeas as much as you can. The less moisture that remains on them, the crispier the end product will be. Toss them with the oil, salt, and red pepper flakes and place on a oven-safe pan in a single layer. Bake for about 40 minutes until desired texture is reached.

Combine all ingredients together for the gnochi in a medium bowl. Do not overmix, stir until just combined. The end result should be a slightly sticky dough, feel free to adjust the flour as needed. Divide the dough into about 8 different parts. Flour your surface and roll each dough section into rope-like shapes with your hands. Using a dough cutter or a knife, cut the rope into sections about a half an inch wide. Make sure each piece is coated in flour to prevent sticking, hold them on a baking sheet or something that will make it easy to transfer them to the water. You can leave the gnocchi as is, or shape them into ovals or use a fork for texture. Up to you! Set the gnocchi aside for now, and make sure they are not on top of each other to prevent sticking. Get a big pot of salted water going on the stove, we will need that boiling in the next few minutes.

Saute the zucchini in the butter and shallots with a pinch of salt on med-high heat for about 5 minutes and set aside. **If you do not eat butter, just toss the zucchini in with the tomatoes when you make the sauce and omit the shallot. For the sauce, saute the sliced garlic in olive oil briefly (do not let brown) and then add the tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Pour in the wine and keep the heat at medium-low. Once the wine has mostly evaporated after a few minutes, cook the gnocchi. They cook fast, once they begin to float (about 30-60 seconds), transfer them straight into the tomato sauce along with a half a cup of the cooking water. Toss everything around to distribute the amazing flavors you've developed.

For the gremolata, combine the ingredients in a food processor, mortar and pestle, or chop very finely with a knife.

Plate the zucchini and gnocchi on top of each other and garnish with the chickpeas, gremolata, and a good amount of burrata torn apart to maximize meltiness. Enjoy!