Stopping here for a quick post and super fast, and, BONUS, one hand recipe! I’ll be honest I did not make the gnocchi and I have actually never made it. It feels rather intimidating to me and a dish that with even a slight carelessness could entirely destroy. I have had my share of chewy, hard gnocchi at restaurants and that tastes worse than over cooking pasta. Instead, I just buy these frozen from my friendly neighborhood pasta and cheese place, who make it fresh with durum wheat.
The thing in this dish is really the garlicky harissa sauce that gives it the warmth that otherwise is the domain of a cheese sauce. Smashed garlic and generous teaspoon of harissa slowly infuses the oil in which the shrimp is cooked and then add pasta and arugula blanched in the pasta water and you are gold!
In other news…
I just wanted to post this image because at the moment it is both nostalgic as well as aspirational! LOL
Gnocchi with Shrimp in Harissa Sauce
1/2 lb frozen or fresh gnocchi
1 bunch arugula
1/2 lb shrimp
3 cloves of garlic
1-1/2 tsp spicy harissa paste
salt and olive oil in generous quantities
Cook the gnocchi per instructions in generously salted water.
While it cooks, heat the oil in a pan and melt the harissa paste into it. Add garlic and gently sauté until the aroma wafts about.
Add shrimp, cover and cook until just opaque (about 5 minutes) tossing it around in between.
When gnocchi is done, transfer with a drain spoon to the shrimp pan. Blanch the trimmed arugula in the pasta water by immersing into the hot water for 5 seconds.
Transfer arugula to the pan and toss everything together, gently.
Serve immediately, with the optional cheese shavings.
Related Posts
SICILIAN MACKEREL PASTA
ROCK SHRIMP IN PEPPERY TOMATO SAUCE + CREAMY POLENTA
EVERYDAY GARLIC PASTA