Shrimp Scampi & Gnocchi

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Remove the leaves of the cauliflower; cut lengthwise through the core into 1-inch-thick steaks (keeping them as intact as possible). Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Place the currants in a bowl; add the juice of 2 lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside to rehydrate.

Line a sheet pan with foil. Place the cauliflower steaks on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; carefully turn to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast 18 minutes. Leaving the oven on, remove from the oven. Carefully add the pancetta in an even layer. Return to the oven and roast 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cauliflower is browned and tender when pierced with a fork and the pancetta is cooked through. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels (remove the tails if desired). Season with salt and pepper. Once the pancetta starts roasting, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned shrimp in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly opaque. Add the chopped garlic, capers, verjus and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat.

Add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gnocchi float to the top of the pot. Turn off the heat. Reserving 1 cup of the gnocchi cooking water, drain thoroughly.

To the pan of cooked shrimp, add the cooked gnocchi, butter, mascarpone, the juice of the remaining lemon wedges, and half the reserved gnocchi cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the gnocchi are coated (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the gnocchi are thoroughly coated). Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished gnocchi garnished with the chopped parsley. Serve the roasted cauliflower on the side; top with the roasted pancetta, rehydrated currants (including the liquid), and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!