Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus

I love gnocchi. When it's done well - light and fluffy with an unbeatable texture - it's nearly impossible to say no to it. This recipe comes together very quickly, utilizing my newest find, vacuum-packed gnocchi, and then tosses it with fresh rock shrimp, asparagus, and pesto for a delicious dish. You could also easily leave out the shrimp or toss in other veggies to make it vegetarian. I'm thinking fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes from your local farmer's market would make a perfect addition here.

Along with the gnocchi, I prepared an arugula salad with fresh, grilled vidalia onions and sweet tomatoes tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. Check out the salad section above to find this recipe from a previous post. This salad is simple but truly delicious when in-season ingredients are used. It's hard to beat summer tomatoes, hot off the vine, and they continue to shine in every dish.

Difficulty: easy
Cost: $27.95
Time: 20 min



Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus
Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz) vacuum-packed gnocchi
3 c asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
12 oz rock shrimp
1 cup basil leaves
2 tbsp (1/8 c) pine nuts
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, reduced fat, grated
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

Bring a pot of water to a boil and toss in the gnocchi. Follow the instructions on the package to cook them. When they are done boiling, however, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Leave the water boiling on the stove as you do this so you can keep using the same cooking liquid.

Put the asparagus and shrimp into the boiling water and boil them for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp are done. I used little rock shrimp, so just 4 minutes was enough, but you might need an extra minute if you sub larger shrimp. When they're done, drain and add these to the gnocchi in the bowl.

Take out a food processor and put the basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and 1 tbsp water into the food processor. Blend for a minute and then add the olive oil. Blend again until smooth and the consistency of pesto.

Scrape out all of the pesto and add it to the gnocchi. Toss to evenly coat and serve this delicious dish immediately.

Servings: 4
Serving size: about 1.5+ cups
Nutrition: calories 298; carbs 30g; fat 8g; protein 18g; sodium 841mg; iron 6mg