Seafood Gnocchi with White Wine Sauce

This easy seafood gnocchi is a delicious dinner made with tender gnocchi, succulent shrimp, and rich crab meat, all tossed in a cheesy white wine cream sauce.

This post contains affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy.

About Seafood Gnocchi with White Wine Sauce

Lovers of seafood already know that shrimp and crab tend to reign supreme, but do you know what makes these two classics even better?

Cheese, cream, white wine, and gnocchi.

Which just happens to be the other ingredients in this delicious seafood gnocchi with cheesy and creamy white wine sauce.

It’s a surprisingly easy-to-make dinner that still has an elegant and decadent flair.

Can you use canned crab meat?

Yes, you can use canned crab meat in this recipe. However, you do want to keep an eye on the sodium content, as this could impact the flavor of your seafood gnocchi.

Sodium is what helps keep canned crab meat fresh, and while you might not taste this in, say, crab cakes, you may very well taste it in a dish like this.

So if you’re using canned crab meat, do a small taste test first. Canned crab meat is already cooked, so it’s completely safe to eat directly from the can. And if you think the crab tastes too salty, there are a few things you can do:

• Reduce the amount of crab meat used. This is the simple way to counter the saltiness: just use less crab. And to compensate for the missing crab, you can increase the amount of shrimp or gnocchi.
• Rinse the crab meat. Some believe that rinsing crab meat will lessen the taste, but I personally haven’t found that to be the case. Crab is cooked in water, after all. To rinse canned crab meat, add the crab meat to a bowl with very cold water for 10-12 minutes, then drain thoroughly through a mesh strainer, removing as much liquid as possible while still keeping the crab moist.

Can you use frozen shrimp?

You can use shrimp that was once frozen but make sure that it’s thawed before using it in the recipe.

Can you use other types of seafood?

I have not personally tried this, but in theory, yes, you can – just make sure that the seafood has already been cooked before using it in this recipe.

Do you have to use gnocchi?

Not at all! Gnocchi brings great texture and flavor to this recipe, but you could easily replace it with an equal portion of your favorite traditional pasta.

What type of white wine should you use?

If you want to use corked wine, I’ve found that the best choice for cooking with seafood flavors is a pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or unoaked chardonnay. I typically look for a price point between $13 and $25. Lately, I’ve enjoyed Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Unoaked Avant White Wine or Meiomi Chardonnay White Wine.

But if you don’t want to use corked white wine (or simply don’t have any on hand) you can also use the white cooking wine found near the vinegar or dressings at your local grocery store.

How long is seafood gnocchi good for?

Once prepared and cooled, seafood gnocchi can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four to five days.

Can you freeze seafood gnocchi?

Yes, you can – but be aware that the texture may change if the cream separates some.

To freeze this dish, store it in a sealed container or freezer bag. For best results, wrap the storage container in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Seafood gnocchi can be frozen for up to three to four months.

When ready to eat, allow the seafood gnocchi to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat up on the stovetop or in the microwave.

More great seafood recipes

How to make seafood gnocchi with white wine sauce

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – To kick things off, prepare the gnocchi per package instructions. Once cooked and drained, place the gnocchi in a bowl and cover it with a towel to keep it from drying out.

Step 2 – In a large skillet, melt the butter. Toss in the shallots and cook until tender, then do the same with the garlic.

Step 3 – Add a portion of the white wine to the skillet, then let it simmer until it’s reduced. Add the rest of the white wine and let it simmer for a few minutes longer.

Step 4 – Pour in the heavy whipping cream, then let it simmer again, stirring occasionally.

Step 5 – Strain the sauce to through a mesh strainer, then discard the garlic and shallots. Return the strained sauce to the skillet.

Step 6 – Toss in the parmigiano reggiano cheese and lemon juice and let the sauce simmer a final time.

Step 7 – Add the gnocchi, shrimp, and crab meat to the skillet. Cook and stir everything together until heated through.

Step 8 – Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Details

SaveSaved

Print

4.54 from 13 votes

Seafood Gnocchi with White Wine Sauce

10 minutes mins prep + 30 minutes mins cook

1011 kcal

Yields: 4 servings

This easy seafood gnocchi is a delicious dinner made with tender gnocchi, succulent shrimp, and rich crab meat, all tossed in a cheesy white wine cream sauce.

Ingredients 

US Customary – Metric

• 1 pound gnocchi
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cup white wine, divided
• 1 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 cup shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 12 ounce cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail optional
• 12 ounce crab meat, fresh or canned

Instructions

• In a large saucepansaucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil and cook gnocchi per package directions. Once done, place gnocchi in a bowl and cover with a paper towelpaper towels. Set bowl aside.
  1 pound gnocchi
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallots to skillet and cook until pale and tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 shallots, 2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
• Pour 1 cup of white wine into the skillet and let simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced by half, about 5-8 minutes. Pour in remaining 1/2 cup of wine and let simmer for another 2 minutes.
  1 1/2 cup white wine
• Add heavy whipping cream to skillet and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  1 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Remove saucepan from heat. Pour sauce through a mesh strainer into a medium bowl, so that garlic and shallots are removed and discarded. Pour strained sauce back into the saucepan and warm over medium heat.
• Stir in parmigiano reggiano cheese and lemon juice, then allow to simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2 cup shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Add cooked shrimp, crab meat, and gnocchi to sauce. Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes or until meat and gnocchi are heated through.
  12 ounce cooked shrimp, 12 ounce crab meat
• Serve immediately with parsley as garnish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1011kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 335mg | Sodium: 2425mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2271IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 789mg | Iron: 6mg

I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.

Author: Chrisy