Shrimp and Gnocchi with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
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‘Light, airy gnocchi tossed with tender shrimp and the most amazing cream sauce you’ll want to drink!
You know I don’t have to convince any of you when it comes to a garlic parmesan cream sauce.
So go ahead and make that emergency grocery run. You’ll need gnocchi, fresh shrimp, and a whole mess of fresh Parmesan and garlic.
So what do we have here? Tender, juicy shrimp is laced with a silky garlic-Parm-infused cream sauce. A cream sauce made of dreams. All tossed alongside some pillowy gnocchi to make for the most perfect fancy weeknight meal.
You’ll want to serve right in that skillet with some crusty bread to sop up all that sauce because we can’t waste a single drop. We just can’t.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Shrimp and Gnocchi with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight, transferring it from the freezer to the fridge the day before. For a quick thaw, you can run them under cold water until completely thawed, about 5-10 minutes. Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible to remove any excess moisture (so they can brown nicely and evenly).
Absolutely! You can substitute rosemary or oregano (dried or fresh!) or any other herb of your choosing. And because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim/low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
Shrimp and Gnocchi with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package DeLallo Potato Gnocchi
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the garlic parmesan cream sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth, or more, as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ cup half and half*
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions; drain well.
- Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- To make the garlic parmesan cream sauce, melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth, thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in half and half and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more half and half as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in shrimp and gnocchi, and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the National Fisheries Institute Shrimp Council. As always, I only partner with brands that I love and truly believe in, allowing me to create more quick and easy recipes to get us through the week without breaking the bank. All opinions expressed are my own.
Would flavored gnocchi work with this or only plain? I’ve been looking to use up either a 160z package of “Basil Gnocchi,” or “Porcini & Truffle Mushroom Gnocchi.”
Any should work! 🙂
I was a little nervous to make this recipe for the first time with 6 people coming over , but it was delicious and everyone LOVED it!! One person in my group doesn’t like shrimp(crazy right) so I dished hers out before adding the shrimp and she gobbled up every bite. Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes. I have used many of them and can’t wait to try more.
We love gnocchi!! When I make this dish, I do not boil the gnocchi. Instead saute the shrimp in the pan, remove. Then make the sauce. Add the gnocchi to the sauce along with the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes or so, until gnocchi is tender. The gnocchi comes out perfect every time and everything’s cooked in one pan.
I came across Damn Delicious just the other day when looking to make knock off Red Lobster biscuits… they turned out so good I wanted to try this recipe out the next night since I already had most all of the ingredients on hand.
This dish is so good!
I love the step-by-step simplicity of the instructions, your explanation of viable substitutes if I don’t have an ingredient (like half and half in this recipe), and the flavor is a guaranteed pleaser! My guy isn’t much into pasta or gnocchi, but with this sauce and the shrimp he went back for seconds.
I am excited to dig into this site for more inspiration and recipes. Thank you for helping to make cooking more exciting and flavorful!
Do you think chicken would be okay as a substitute for shrimp?
Yes, absolutely.
Can you use frozen shrimp for this recipe? How would I adjust cooking time? Thank you!
I recommend using fresh or thawed shrimp.
If you run the frozen shrimp under cold cold water for about 10 minutes it works well!
Question, could you substitute the half & half with heavy cream or no?
I made this for my family tonight. So quick and easy. I love that the gnocchi is so dense; it is much more filling than a typical pasta noodle, with about the same nutritional content! So I could eat less of this and enjoy a “splurge.” And my wife loved this, too!
How nany do you think this will serve? I have a house full of teenagers and wondered if I should double?
This yields 4 servings.
My family loved this recipe! Your one pot garlic cream pasta is a staple in our house, this is really just as easy with protein. Perfection! Thanks yet again.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. I’ve made about a half dozen of your recipes and this is by far my favorite. The sauce is so rich and pairs nicely with the shrimp and gnocchi. My only knock against it was the amount of thyme. I felt it over powered the delicate flavor of the shrimp and gnocchi. When (not if) I make it again, I will only use half a teaspoon. I might also add maybe a 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper to add a touch of heat. Thanks for the inspiration and the great recipes. I plan on buying your book soon.
I can’t wait to go grocery shopping so I can make this! I showed the picture to my husband who pretty much demanded I make it ASAP. He loves shrimp, I love garlic and Parmesan and cream sauces -it’s a win-win!
I made this for my family last night and it was a HUGE hit! My 2 year old daughter especially loved the gnocchi (potatoes + pasta = heaven for her). The cream sauce was perfection. This was a bit of an indulgence, but I’m sure we’ll make it again in the future!
This recipe has saved me on so mant occasions when I haven’t felt like cooking but wanted a cheap and delicious homemade meal. It’s so easy it’s like a grown up version of Top Ramen, except it tastes like something from Olive Garden. Kudos! I’m on my way back to the house to make it again!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit! I wish I had chopped up my dried thyme, because what I had was a little woody…but that’s okay. This was so delicious it didn’t even matter! I halved the recipe since we won’t be eating at home for a couple of days and I’m looking forward to making it again next week (to use up the other half of the gnocchi). Thanks for the recipe!
Any time I see “damn delicious” I save the recipe and make the recipe. for years now, you’ve been a go to. Tonight however, with my homemade pasta, this recipe screamed “tell herrrrr!” You’re amazing, this recipe was amazing!! Thank you for what you do:)
Yum! Love being able to throw together some pre-made gnocchi and delicious toppings- this looks soooooo good! 🙂
Can I substitute mock crab for this dish?
Yes!
Delicious! Pasta and cream sauce is the best, what a quick and easy meal! Love this. Sauce is perfect. Thank you!
This looks amazing! I love all things shrimp, so I obviously need this in my life!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Can’t take the credit because I devoured a VERY similar dish to this at a restaurant this weekend; BUT adding toasted almonds and a little sun dried tomato strips to this dish may amp it up a bit more.