Pasta & Gnocchi Archives - Page 3 of 3

Fusilli with Asparagus, Shrimp, and Cherry Tomatoes | veryEATalian-18

Given the snowy weather in much of the States, I have a feeling that most of the country is still dreaming of a nice, warm and comforting bowl of soup. Spring is almost here, and if the weather doesn’t prove it, you just need to head to the produce isle of your grocery store and you’ll see huge bins of asparagus bunches, all lined up and ready to brighten your grocery basket.

Asparagus can be cooked in different ways. I like to half-cook and half-steam them, that is, steaming the whole spears upright in few inches of boiling water. The upright position allows the hard, thicker bottom to cook in water while the tips of the asparagus gently steam, preserving their crispiness.

Asparagus go amazingly well with shrimp. I bought a small bunch and I whipped up a pasta dish with some frozen shrimp and a few cherry tomatoes–it’s a simple and lovely way to bring spring to the table!

FUSILLI WITH ASPARAGUS, SHRIMP, AND CHERRY TOMATOES
Servings: 2 | Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
180 g (6.4 oz) fusilli pasta (the ones I used are called fusilli bucati corti)
a small bunch of asparagus (about 15)
1 small shallot, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a pasta pot of salted water to a boil.
2. At the same time, pour about 3 1/2 inches of water into a taller pot and bring to a boil [if you have it, you can use an asparagus pot instead].
3. Trim the base of the asparagus stalk. Peel off hard skin from 2/3 of the stalks, leaving the top part intact.
4. Fasten the asparagus stalks into a bundle, using cooking twine. Place them in the tall pot of water in an upright position, with the tips extending a couple of inches or more above the boiling water. Cover, lower heat, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until bottom parts are tender and cooked through and spears are crisp tender. [Cooking time varies depending on the thickness and age of the asparagus]
5. Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and stir until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until they soften (about 3 min). Turn the heat to medium high, add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
6. Remove cooked asparagus from the pot and reserve 2 tablespoons of cooking water. Trim the bottoms (about 1/3 of the stalk) and place bottoms in a blender with a bit of olive oil, a pinch of salt and the reserved cooking water. You will obtain a runny light green sauce.
7. Cut the rest of the asparagus in small pieces and toss them in the pan with tomatoes and shrimp.
8. Cook fusilli according to package instructions. When al dente, drain and toss in the skillet. Turn the heat on, add green sauce and let it saute until pasta absorbs flavors (about 1-2 min). Add salt, if necessary. Serve.

Buon appetito!

Gnocchi di Ricotta are an easy and light alternative to their more famous cousin, Gnocchi di Patate. They require less prep time and the texture isn’t as tricky to master. There is one key rule to keep in mind when making both types of gnocchi: do not overwork the dough. Knead it just as long as it takes for the ingredients to hold together into a workable dough. The less flour you use, the lighter the dumpling will be.

This dish is quite elegant, yet easy to make. Thanks to their delicate taste, Gnocchi di Ricotta go well with a variety of sauces. In this post I’m showcasing a very basic sauce, simply made of butter and sage, cooked at very low heat and emulsified with a few spoonfuls of cooking water.

If you’d like to give this recipe a spin, just add a sauteed vegetable, like tomatoes or mushrooms. My husband LOVED them and made me promise to make more soon!

GNOCCHI DI RICOTTA
Servings: 2 | Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 4 min

INGREDIENTS

GNOCCHI
220 g (1 cup) ricotta cheese
30 g (1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese + more to sprinkle on top
1 large egg, beaten
110 g (3/4 cup) all purpose flour + more for dusting
a pinch of nutmeg
salt
freshly ground black pepper

BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE
unsalted butter
a few sprigs of sage
boiling salted water (from the pot where you cook gnocchi)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix together ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl .
2. Add flour and stir to form a soft, wet, and workable dough.
3. Generously dust working surface with flour. Roll dough into a cylindrical shape, until you reach the desired thickness (I rolled mine 1-inch thick). Cut into pieces using a lightly floured knife and move the gnocchi onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Add water to a pot and bring to boil. Add salt (as you would for pasta). At the same time prepare the butter and sage sauce (instructions below).
5. Cook gnocchi in batches, gently dropping them into the boiling water. Stir and wait until they rise to the surface. Lift them out with a strainer and place them on the pan containing the butter sauce.
6. Cook gnocchi in the butter and sage sauce on low heat for few more minutes, often lifting the pan a few inches from the stove and swirling it a few times.
7. Garnish with fresh sage, if desired, and sprinkle pepper and grated parmesan cheese on top.

BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE
1. Place a pan on the stove on low heat and add butter and sage.
2. Before the butter melts all the way, remove the pan from the heat, lifting it and swirling it around. Add a couple of tablespoons of salted boiling water from the other pot. Keep swirling.
3. Return the pan to the stove for a minute, and then remove it again, swirling the pan a few inches above the heat, until the butter melts entirely. Add a couple more tablespoons of water and swirl again. 4. Keep the sauce hot over very low heat until gnocchi are ready.

Buon appetito!
-Lisa