Eggplant Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Eggplant gnocchi is a flavorful dish that allows you to appreciate vegetarian cuisine with an all-Italian touch. Here is the recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized eggplants
• 250 g of soft wheat flour (plus a little more to work the dough)
• 1 egg
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 150 g of cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil leaves
• Garlic, 1 clove
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the eggplants, cut them into cubes, and cook them in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic until they become soft. Remove the garlic and let the eggplants cool down.
2. Blend the cooked eggplants in a mixer until they turn into a puree. Then, transfer the puree to a bowl and add an egg, salt, pepper, and mix.
3. Gradually add the flour, mixing until you obtain a soft and non-sticky dough. If necessary, add more flour.
4. Dust a clean surface with flour and start to form small dough logs, which you will then cut into pieces of about 2 cm to form the gnocchi.
5. Cook the gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water: they are ready when they float to the surface.
6. Meanwhile, in a pan, cook the cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of oil, salt, and hand-torn basil leaves until they have slightly softened.
7. Drain the gnocchi and transfer them to the pan with the cherry tomatoes, tossing them for a few minutes to flavor them.
8. Serve hot, garnishing with other fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Fun Facts

Eggplant gnocchi are a variant of traditional gnocchi and represent an excellent way to enjoy eggplants, a vegetable that is very present in Mediterranean cuisine. The delicate flavor of the vegetable perfectly matches the freshness of the cherry tomatoes and basil, creating a dish with simple but distinctive flavors.