Shrimp Boil Gnocchi

I took a bit of a much needed break from posting on the blog. If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ll know it’s because I recently became a father. It has been one of the best experiences of my life and I’m trying to enjoy every single last minute with my son. With that being said, I’m back with my regularly scheduled programming. With summer finally winding down (if you’re in LA you know how hot it’s been lately) I wanted to share with you this late summer Shrimp Boil Gnocchi. It brings all of the flavors from a classic shrimp boil (ie shrimp, corn sausage, Old Bay) and turns it into a delicious weeknight (or weekend to be honest) pasta dish. The gnocchi acts as the potato element from the shrimp boil and I can’t get enough of it lately.

Set a large skillet or sauté pan (I used a large shallow dutch oven) over moderate heat with 1 tablespoon butter. Once hot and melted, add in the sliced sausage and cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate and set aside.

**Note: Any smoked sausage will do here, such as kielbasa, chorizo or andouille. I used andouille for a bit of added flavor and spice.**

Add in the shrimp and season with 1 tablespoon of the seafood season. Cook, stirring often, until the shrimp have just turned pink, but not necessarily cooked all the way. Transfer to the plate with the sausage.

**Note: Don’t cook the shrimp all the way at this stage because they’ll finish off cooking later on. If you take them all the way at this stage, then they’ll be overcooked later on when you finish the dish.**

To the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, corn, thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

**Tip: If fresh corn is still looking good at the store, I highly recommend using that but if the season has passed for you, then frozen thawed corn will work great in a pinch.**

Deglaze the pan with the wine, cooking until the white has just slightly reduced. Stir in the lemon juice and 1 more tablespoon of the seafood seasoning.

**Tip: You want a dry white wine for this. Either a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc will do. Just make sure whatever you choose it’s something you like the flavor of because that is the flavor that will be imparted in the dish itself. You also don’t have to break the bank when cooking with wine!**

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and stir until melted and a smooth silky sauce has formed. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Cook gnocchi according to the package directions. Use a slotted spoon to transfer gnocchi to the skillet with the sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water along with the cooked sausage and shrimp from earlier.

Give everything a stir and cook until just heated through and the shrimp have finished cooking. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of seafood seasoning and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

If you want to turn this into a seafood boil, feel free to add other fresh seafood as well. Grab or clams would be delicious as well. Bonus is that seafood is fast cooking and so overall this dish doesn’t take much time to make.

Don’t let summer go by without giving this pasta recipe a try! It’s all of my favorite shrimp boil flavors rolled into pasta, and you already know how much I love a good gnocchi recipe. This one is a winner. Let me know what you think below and as always, I can’t thank you enough for reading and following along.