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Fish, Italy

Shrimp and cherry tomato gnocchi

Shrimp and cherry tomato gnocchi is an Italian style skillet dish, serving 4, ready in 20 minutes, rated very easy, for about €3.90 per person. The trick is to brown the gnocchi dry in the pan with no boiling first, so they stay crispy outside and soft inside.

A last minute dinner, golden pan seared gnocchi with pink shrimp and cherry tomatoes that burst in your mouth.

Shrimp and cherry tomato gnocchi
Total time
20 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.90
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

There's no pot of boiling water here, the gnocchi go straight into a hot skillet and develop a golden crust while staying tender inside. Pink shrimp add a firm bite, and cherry tomatoes burst into a light, almost instant sauce, seasoned with garlic and Espelette pepper.

This is the kind of dinner you throw together on a weeknight, when you have leftover gnocchi in the fridge and some shrimp in the freezer. Kids love picking at the bursting tomatoes and golden gnocchi, and the whole meal comes together in one pan, no side dish required. Mon Chou keeps this one in rotation for busy spring and summer evenings.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Potato gnocchi 800 g

Fish counter

  • Raw peeled shrimp 400 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Cherry tomatoes 400 g
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Fresh basil 1 sprigs

Pantry

  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Espelette pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Shellfish

The step by step recipe

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet and brown the gnocchi directly, with no precooking. 8 min

    Stir only every other minute, they need to stay in contact with the pan to crisp up.

  2. Set the gnocchi aside, then sear the shrimp in the remaining oil with the crushed garlic and the pepper. 3 min

    As soon as they turn pink and curl up, take them out, they get rubbery if you cook them too long.

  3. Toss the whole cherry tomatoes into the skillet and let them burst over high heat. 4 min

    Poke them with the tip of a knife, the juice they release becomes the sauce.

  4. Put the gnocchi and shrimp back in, mix, season with salt and pepper, then scatter chopped basil on top just before serving.

    Add the basil off the heat, it keeps its aroma and color that way.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a wide skillet and avoid crowding it, the gnocchi need to touch the pan surface to brown instead of steaming.
  • Pick raw, peeled, deveined shrimp so you skip a fiddly step when you're cooking fast.
  • Keep the heat high through the whole process, that's what lets the tomatoes burst without releasing too much water.

The variations

  • Swap the shrimp for diced salmon or squid if you prefer another seafood.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the shrimp with diced zucchini or chickpeas, seared the same way.
  • For an even quicker, kid friendly version, halve the tomatoes so they cook faster and go lighter on the pepper.

What to serve it with

  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • Crusty bread for soaking up sauce
  • A glass of dry white wine

Storage

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, the shrimp won't keep as long as the gnocchi alone. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat so the gnocchi crisp back up. Freezing isn't recommended, the shrimp and tomatoes lose their texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you use frozen shrimp?

Yes, just thaw them completely and pat them very dry before searing. Wet shrimp cool down the pan and release water instead of browning.

Do you need to boil the gnocchi before pan frying them?

No, that's actually the whole point of this recipe. The gnocchi go raw straight into the hot pan, developing a golden crust while the inside stays soft.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

It's best cooked right before serving, since the gnocchi lose their crispness if they sit. You can prep the ingredients ahead though, crushed garlic, peeled shrimp, washed tomatoes.

How do you make this dish milder for kids?

Just skip the Espelette pepper, or add a tiny pinch only to the adults' portions. The rest of the flavors, mild garlic and sweet tomatoes, already suit kids well.

How long does it take to make a shrimp and cherry tomato gnocchi?

Count 20 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a shrimp and cherry tomato gnocchi?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a shrimp and cherry tomato gnocchi cost?

About €3.90 per serving, or €15.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, shellfish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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