Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto (7 WW pts)
Hubby and I like to cook together. On Friday night we decided to try a recipe I had torn out of a Cooking Light. Neither of us had ever made pesto from scratch. I was surprised at how easy it was!! This meal was amazing and very easy to make. The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but it was definitely 6 for us. And it’s great reheated.
Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto – from Cooking Light July 2007 (pg 216) – makes 6 servings – 7 WW pts2 quarts plus 1 Tbsp water, divided
1 (16 oz) package vacuum packed gnocchi
4 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound) – I used 1 bundle from the grocery store1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted – Ours weren’t toasted2 Tbsp preshredded Parmesan cheese – I used Veggie Grated Parmesan Cheese Alternative2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp bottled minced garlic – I used 3 garlic cloves, minced4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Bring 2 qts water to a boil in a dutch oven (I just used a regular pot). Add gnocchi to pan; cook 4 minutes or until done – they will rise to the surface. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.
Add asparagus and shrimp to pan (that gnocchi just came out of); cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain and add shrimp mixture to gnocchi.
To make the pesto sauce (we did this while the gnocchi and shrimp were cooking): Combine 1 Tbsp water, basil, pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping sides. Drizzle oil through food chute with food processor on; process until well blended.
Add salt and pesto to shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information (please double check with your ingredients and serving sizes – I use this recipe calculator)
1 serving: 333.5 Calories, 6.7 g Fat, 147.3 mg Cholesterol, 343.8 mg Sodium, 439.8 mg Potassium, 43.4 g Carbs, 3.6 g Dietary Fiber, 1.5 g Sugar, 24.8 g Protein WW POINTS = 7
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I have been loving Butternut Squash more than ever this season, myself! Your pictures are lovely, and making me hungry!
I LOVE butternut squash… especially when roasted until slightly crisp on the outside. Your caramelized version looks great – I will need to add a touch of brown sugar and butter next time I make it.
YUM!!! I started my butternut squash kick this weekend- this looks amazing!
I have a butternut squash from my CSA that I’m dying to cut into. I have a question though, how does one peel a butternut squash?
Melissa – I like to use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to peel the skin off. You could do it with a knife, but I would be worried about cutting myself.
Sounds like a fabulous way to prepare those squash. I’ll have to remember this for if we have another bumper crop next year!
Hi Jen, nice seeing you again yesterday. I usually roast my butternut squash with brown sugar too but I can’t believe I never thought of adding butter! I usually omit the salt and pepper because I like it very dessert-like, so I add cinnamon too 🙂
what a great blog!
here is so many inspirations,
have a nice time,
Paula
I love butternut squash too. It’s definitely delicious with just a bit of brown sugar. Sometimes I go a bit overboard and roast it with a whole lot of butter, brown, sugar, and maple syrup.
This looks amazing! I love bn squash. I just made a fantastic soup, and now I want to carmelize it!
This is such a simple way to cook butternut squash and yet SO delicious! I’m loving your butternut squash blog posts!