The gnocchi with shrimp, cream, and pistachio crumble is a festive first course that is really simple and very tasty, which you can include in your fish-based menus. It can accompany, for example, other dishes with salmon or fish appetizers typical of great occasions and Christmas holidays.
In fact, gnocchi have a very short cooking time, so they are prepared quickly and allow you to make them on the spot and also focus on other preparations.
Moreover, you can clean the shrimp and prepare the sauce a day in advance. At lunchtime, you only need to cook the gnocchi and let them absorb the sauce. In short, it’s a great alternative to the classic oven-baked first courses that are usually prepared during the holidays.
Furthermore, if you like, it is also a cost-effective fish first course: the cost of shrimp is not excessive, and if you want, you can also prepare your gnocchi with frozen shrimp, provided it is a good quality frozen product (you can find them in stores specializing in frozen foods).
Preparing shrimp, cream, and pistachio gnocchi is very simple and can be successfully made even by those not very experienced in the kitchen. Let’s see how to prepare them together, but first, I’ll leave you some other delicious shrimp recipes that you can try!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
- Energy 824.94 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 51.35 (g) of which sugars 9.50 (g)
- Proteins 23.39 (g)
- Fat 58.42 (g) of which saturated 12.05 (g)of which unsaturated 17.18 (g)
- Fibers 5.28 (g)
- Sodium 971.21 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 500 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Shrimp Gnocchi
- 2.2 lbs potato gnocchi
- 1.7 cups cooking cream
- 1.4 oz shrimp (shelled)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3.5 oz pistachio crumble (or shelled and chopped pistachios)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed chopped parsley
- as needed salt
- as needed pepper
Tools for Preparing Shrimp, Cream, and Pistachio Gnocchi
- Pan
- Skillet
- Cutting Board
- Knife
Steps for Preparing Shrimp Gnocchi
Let’s see together how to prepare these delicious shrimp gnocchi with cream and pistachios.
Heat a non-stick skillet and toast the pistachio crumble for a few seconds.
If you are using whole pistachios, chop them with a knife before putting them in the skillet.
Once toasted, set them aside in a small bowl.
If using frozen shrimp, thaw them before use.
If you are using fresh shrimp, clean them well by removing the head and shell. After that, use a toothpick to remove the black intestinal vein.
In the same skillet where you toasted the pistachios, heat a few tablespoons of oil and fry the whole, peeled garlic cloves. When they are golden brown, add the shrimp to the skillet, a sprig of parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes at most.
Add the pistachio crumble to the shrimp and let them absorb the flavor for a few seconds.
Turn off the heat, remove the whole parsley sprig and garlic cloves.
Add the cooking cream and stir to combine the ingredients.
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil for the gnocchi. Add the salt before adding the gnocchi so it has time to dissolve.
When the water boils, add the gnocchi. As soon as they float, drain them and reserve some cooking water.
Add the gnocchi to the sauce, let them absorb the flavors for a few seconds over moderate heat. If needed, add a few tablespoons of cooking water to thin the cream.
Finish with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of pepper.
Plate your gnocchi with shrimp, cream, and pistachios and serve immediately before the cream thickens.
Storage, Notes, Variations
– Shrimp gnocchi should be cooked and eaten immediately, because the cream tends to thicken and stick the gnocchi together as soon as the dish starts to cool. However, if there are leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 24 hours. Reheat them in a skillet by adding a few tablespoons of milk or water until the cream becomes creamy again.
– If you like, you can also add smoked salmon pieces to the sauce.
– You can substitute the pistachio crumble with almond crumble or hazelnuts or almond flakes. Always toast the nuts you use for a few seconds in a hot skillet: they will be more aromatic and flavorful. Always keep a bit of crumble aside to decorate the dish at the end.
– If you like garlic, you can also use it minced in the recipe. You can also use powdered garlic to flavor the dish.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I substitute the cooking cream?
If the issue is lactose intolerance, you can safely use lactose-free cooking cream or soy vegetable cream (if you like it). If you want to avoid cream because you don’t like it or don’t want to use it, you can omit it. Once the shrimp are cooked in the skillet, deglaze with a bit of white wine. Add the gnocchi to the skillet with a bit of cooking water, another drizzle of oil, and toss them with the sauce. Finish with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of pepper.
Can other types of pasta be used?
Of course, I used potato gnocchi, but you can also use classic gnocchi or fresh pasta like trofie, spaghetti alla chitarra, or tagliatelle. Ridged dry pasta also works well.
