Every once in a while I crave a saucy pasta. Last week it was an easy, creamy “marry me” gnocchi. The popular “Marry Me Chicken” is famous for its skillet chicken and decadent sun-dried tomato cream sauce. I used to hate sun-dried tomatoes, but a cream sauce can turn me into a fan of just about anything.
This time I had gnocchi on hand, which is practically begging to be paired with a thick creamy sauce. Of course you could use any pasta you have (or whichever is your favorite). Next time I make this Marry Me Gnocchi I will try to make my own homemade gnocchi to pair!
Since the sauce is on the heavier side, I like to balance it with a lighter protein like shrimp. If you do want to do the classic chicken version instead: sear your chicken breast in the pan (instead of the shrimp in Step 3), remove the chicken, follow recipe as written to make the sauce, return the chicken to the pan and cover/cook until chicken is done. Finish by serving with your pasta of choice.
How to get started:
Start by prepping your onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes, saving the oil from the jar.
Sear the shrimp first in your sun-dried tomato oil and set aside (you’ll add those back in later). I like to boil the gnocchi at the same time (in a different pot)- just remember to save some of the pasta water.
Sauté the onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in the same pan you did the shrimp. If it seems too dry, add some olive oil. Add the tomato paste and cream and mix.
Stir in the gnocchi and the shrimp and slowly add some pasta water until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Stir in some Parmesan and enjoy!
Marry Me Gnocchi
Course: Mains, PastaCuisine: Italian, AmericanDifficulty: Easy15
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
~1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped (save the oil from the jar)
1 lb (450 g) shrimp (thawed if frozen, peeled and deveined)
1 lb (450 g) gnocchi (store-bought or homemade)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-2 tbsp olive oil (as needed)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2-1 cup reserved pasta water
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Prep: Dice onion, mince garlic, and chop sun-dried tomatoes. Save the oil from the jar.
- Cook gnocchi: Boil gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Cook shrimp: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add reserved tomato oil (add olive oil if needed). Pat shrimp dry, season with salt and pepper, and sear 1–2 minutes per side until pink. Remove and set aside. Don’t wipe the pan!
- Sauté: In the same pan, add onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions soften. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
If the onions start to burn or look dry, lower the heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. - Build sauce: Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add half the cream and a splash of pasta water, stirring until smooth. Continue adding some cream and some pasta water until you reach your desired color/ flavor/thickness.
- Finish: Stir in Parmesan (if using). Add gnocchi and shrimp, tossing gently to coat. Thin with pasta water as needed to loosen.
Optional: Stir in some shredded Parmesan for extra flavor. - Enjoy!
Notes
- You can make this sauce as red / orange as you want, meaning more tomato paste, less cream, more cream, less pasta water… whatever your taste buds want!
- The last time i made this, I finely chopped the sun-dried tomatoes and I wasn’t as happy with the consistency. I prefer them coarsely chopped, with bigger chunks of the tomatoes; but to each their own! If you like them diced smaller, go ahead!
