Gnocchi with Prawns and Marinated Feta
- kitchen-jungle
- May 26, 2020
- 3 min read
This is my take on Yotam Ottolenghi’s ‘Orzo with prawns, tomato and marinated feta’, however I substituted the orzo for gnocchi (Yes, in this particular recipe, this was shop bought; however making Gnocchi is super easy. It is made from just potatoes, flour and egg!)
This is an example of an easy and effortless one-pot meal (If you buy ready-made Gnocchi) and most of the ingredients can likely be found in your kitchen jungle.
As the recipe only calls for 200g Feta, I decided to marinate the entire 400g I had. This actually proved to be delicious topped on my salad for lunch the next day and the pasta I made the day after.
Ottolenghi used Chilli flakes, fennel seeds and oil to marinate the feta in his recipe, however I of course took it upon myself to alter the recipe slightly and add in some fresh thyme (Freshly picked from my garden) and a pinch of dried Oregano.
Because I used Gnocchi as opposed to Orzo, I was able to initially make the sauce and add the Gnocci straight in. As it was fresh from the packet, you usually would have to boil it for 1-2 minutes, however the consistency of the sauce enabled me to add this right in just before I was ready to serve.
Additionally, I also finished the sauce with a couple of tablespoons of double cream. The velvety, rich, spicy sauce against the pillows of Gnocchi and soft prawns was a combination definitely worth experiencing.
If you fancy trying Ottolenghi’s original recipe, made with Orzo, here it is:
(This recipe served 4 people)
Ingredients:
200g feta, broken into 1-2cm pieces
½ tsp chilli flakes
4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
75ml olive oil
250g orzo (I substituted this with 500g of Gnocchi)
Salt and black pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 strips finely shaved orange peel
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml vegetable stock
400g raw shelled prawns
30g basil leaves, roughly shredded
In a medium bowl, mix the feta with a quarter-teaspoon of the chilli flakes, two teaspoons of the fennel seeds and a tablespoon of oil. Set aside while you cook the orzo.
Put a large saute pan for which you have a lid on a medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of oil, the orzo, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry for three to four minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.
Return the pan to the same heat and add the remaining two tablespoons of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of chilli flakes, two teaspoons of fennel seeds, the garlic and the orange peel. Fry for a minute, until the garlic starts to brown lightly, then add the tomatoes, stock, 200ml water, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Cook for two to three minutes
Cover, then lower the heat to medium low and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the orzo is cooked. Remove the lid and cook for one to two minutes more, until the consistency is like a risotto.
Stir in the prawns for two to three minutes, until they turn pink and are cooked. Stir in the basil and serve at once with the marinated feta sprinkled on top.
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