Gnocchi, Tomatoes & Crab

From the Kitchen

The one thing I miss about life on the East Coast is the seafood. For someone who didn’t even try seafood until well into her twenties, I can confidently say that I could eat it every day and never tire of it. Shellfish, whitefish, salmon — I love it all.

It’s a strange thing to go from spending long, lazy summer afternoons crabbing on a dock to being landlocked, where seafood is something you find at the grocery store.

I miss those summer evenings gathered around a table covered in newspaper, cracking and shelling freshly caught crabs with friends and family. The conversation, the mess, the ritual of it all. I miss it. A LOT.

And while Tennessee has so much to offer in its own right (which I love), freshly caught seafood is unfortunately not one of them.

While we may not have quite the same experience here, I still find ways to bring those familiar flavors to our table.

When I came across this recipe for Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes and Crab in Skye McAlpine’s 2018 cookbook, A Table in Venice, I knew it was one I wanted to try. A little taste of those East Coast summers, right here in Middle Tennessee.

Served on an antique French Limoges platter.

Recipe adapted from A Table in Venice by Skye McAlpine.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1½ pints cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¾ cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 pound packaged gnocchi
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently until fragrant and lightly golden, taking care not to burn it. Remove the garlic if desired, or leave it in the pan.
  2. Add the cherry tomatoes and white wine. Increase the heat to medium and simmer for 7–10 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and most of the wine has evaporated. Stir in the butter until melted and incorporated into the sauce. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to package instructions, or until they float to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi directly to the tomato sauce and gently toss to coat.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Gently fold in the lump crabmeat and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, taking care not to break up the crab. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  4. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and additional Parmesan, and serve immediately.