Shrimp and Scallop Gnocchi in a Lightened-Up Creamy Garlic Sauce
So I’m looking at this recipe and it looks complicated but what’s odd about that is how easy and versatile it is.
I’ve outlined how to sauté the scallops and cook/warm the shrimp according to how you bought them, ie, fresh or frozen.
Literally you’re building the cream sauce in the pan while the water for the (store bought) gnocchi comes to a boil.
Easy-Peasey and ready in (under???) 15 minutes.
Again, thank you to Mike’s family for the incredibly sweet, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth scallops 😘
Shrimp and Scallop Gnocchi in a Lightened-Up Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
A simple, healthy recipe for Shrimp and Scallop Gnocchi in a Lightened-Up Creamy Garlic Sauce; it’s easy, versatile and ready in about 15 minutes!
Ingredients
500 g Gnocchi (1 standard package), cooked according to package directions.
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
12 Medium fresh Scallops
453 g/1 lb shrimp (I used cooked, frozen shrimp – thawed but you can go with fresh too)
4 Cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 ½ Cup Sodium-reduced stock (I used beef but you can use chicken or vegetable)
¼ Cup (10%) Half & Half cream
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp pepper, plus more
A of pinch salt (to taste), plus more
Parsley, chopped for garnish (optional
Instructions
Place a large pot of water to boil and then cook the gnocchi according to package directions (the sauce should be done before the gnocchi).
Make sure the scallops are cleaned and patted dry.
Over medium high heat, add ½ tbsp of the butter and the olive oil to a large frying pan.
Add the scallops when the pan is hot and the fat has melted; season with salt and pepper.
Let the scallop’s sauté for 2-3 minutes (don’t touch the scallops until you’re going to flip them!); when you see the edges are browning and it’s starting to cook towards the middle, then flip them!
Drop the heat to medium after the scallops have been flipped, again season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook for about another minute and then add in the shrimp (if using grey, ie, fresh shrimp otherwise hold off on adding them until the end).
You can tell the scallop is cooked when the middle is opaque and is slightly warm. Also if using fresh shrimp you can tell they’re cooked when they’re pink and opaque and have curled into the letter “C”.
Once cooked, set the scallops (and shrimp) aside.
Add the remaining butter to the pan, which is still on medium at this point. Add in the garlic, mixing constantly until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add in the flour and cook for about a minute (this will kill the raw flour flavour).
Whisk in the stock and then the cream; let this gently bubble until the sauce starts to thicken (you can drop the heat a bit if the sauce is bubbling too much).
Add in the Parmesan cheese and the pepper; mix well.
Add in the cooked gnocchi, cooked scallops and shrimp; mix well. This is the point when you’d add in the thawed, cold shrimp if you didn’t use fresh.
Let everything warm through on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning on the sauce, you haven’t added any additional salt yet because the Parmesan cheese has a lot of salt already.
Top with the parsley if using.
Serve immediately.
Notes
- If your sauce thickens too much or is a touch too salty for you then thin it out with a little bit of milk (1 – 4 tbsp).
- This is a very rich dish and a little goes a long way so serve with a fresh Green Salad for a complete meal 🙂
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
