Gnocchi- small, fluffy and delicate potato dumplings. Normally I make them with a simple blue cheese and white wine sauce, for something different try them with prawns,

I first ate a similar dish in a tiny restaurant in a town called Porto Ercole in Italy and the owner was insistent that back in the day it had been Sophia Loren’s favourite dish (she used to live there). Whether that wastrue or not, it is an incredible dish fitting of a screen goddess. The dish is really simple with only a few ingredients but it allows you to really taste the gnocchi and the sweetness of the prawns.

INGREDIENTS

– 24 tiger prawns deveined
– 1 clove garlic
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 1 tbsp butter
– 120ml white wine
– 500ml cream
– 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
– 1/2 tsp tomato paste
– 500g gnocchi
– salt & pepper

Put on a pot of water for the gnocchi. In the mean time heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a pan. Add the prawns and cook till they have turned pink, but are still slightly undercooked. Remove the prawns, add the white wine and allow to reduce before adding the cream, tomato paste and herbs. Once the cream mixture has cooked till thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add you gnocchi to the hot water.
Add the prawns back to the cream mixture and allow them to finish cooking. Drain the gnocchi and add it immediately to the cream sauce, check and adjust seasoning – serve.

Traditionally Italians don’t add Parmesan to seafood pasta’s but it completely up to you, I find the dish is already very rich so I don’t add any.