Sardinian gnocchetti with clams and courgette cream

To make Sardinian gnocchetti with clams and cream of courgette, start by cleaning the clams. Make sure there are no broken or empty shells, in which case they should be discarded. Then beat them against the sink, or possibly on a chopping board. This operation is important to check that there is no sand inside: healthy bivalves will remain closed, while those full of sand will open. Then place the clams in a colander resting on a bowl and rinse them. Immerse the clams in fresh water and add plenty of coarse salt. Let the clams soak for 2 hours. After this time, rinse and drain them. In a large frying pan, brown the parsley stalks and garlic cloves in oil, poached and crushed with the palm of your hand.

When the garlic is golden, add the drained clams, immediately cover with a lid and allow the clams to open for a few minutes over a medium flame, stirring occasionally. Turn off the flame, then discard the garlic and parsley stalks.

Start shucking the clams, leaving a few for decoration and keeping the clams without shells in a small container, making sure to cover them with some of their liquid released during cooking. Then strain the liquid from the clams and keep it aside. Move on to the courgette cream: remove the ends of the courgettes.

Cut them into sticks, discarding the white part so that you get the outer, green part. Bring a pot of salted water (the same pot in which you will boil the gnocchi) to the boil. Boil the courgettes for about 30 seconds. Drain them immediately in water and ice to preserve the colour.

Transfer the courgettes to a blender, add the oil and the toasted almonds.

Also pour in half a ladleful of the clam water. Blend and pour in a little more clam water if necessary to obtain a full-bodied and creamy pesto. Adjust the salt and pepper.

Clean the zucchini flowers: remove any traces of earth with a brush, remove the pistil inside and cut them into thin strips. Boil the gnocchetti.

Pour the cream of courgette into the pan, add pepper and lemon zest.

As soon as they come to the surface, drain the gnocchetti in the pan, adjust the consistency with a little more cooking water and finish cooking. Turn off the heat and add the clams.

Finish off with the julienne-cut zucchini flowers, a drizzle of oil and toss everything together. Serve adding the clams with the shells kept aside. The Sardinian gnocchetti with clams and cream of courgette are ready to be enjoyed.