My first Blue Apron recipe, and boy was this good. Pan-fried shrimp and gnocchi combine with pesto, mascarpone, and tomatoes for a dish that feels light and right. It’s universally appealing (unless you have dairy or seafood allergies) and relatively quick and easy to make.

What you’ll need (for 3-4 people)

• 1 lb. of shrimp, 21-30 count

• 1 lb. of gnocchi

• 1/2 lb. of tomatoes - aim for the cherry size

• 1/3 cup of basil pesto

• 2 Tbsps Mascarpone cheese

• a bit of grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 Tbsp butter

• Red Pepper Flakes

• Salt

The original recipe from Blue Apron involves corn (2 cobs of the stuff) and more butter. I’m not a big fan of the taste or texture of corn in the first place, and I think that corn is just messy to work with - likely due to my inexperience, my kitchen ended up covered in half-cut kernels and corn silks. As for my choice to use less butter, I don’t think you’ll miss it. The end result is already fairly creamy thanks to the Mascarpone.

Prep work (10 minutes):

1. Quarter the tomatoes. My knife wasn’t too sharp, and this took far longer than it needed to.

2. Peel and rinse the shrimp. Coat and toss with salt and pepper.

Cooking (15 minutes):

1. Get a large pot of salted water boiling. The pot is where you’ll end up combining everything, so make sure you also have a lid for it so that it’s easier to shake and mix the food.

2. Thinly coat a large skillet with olive oil, and heat it on medium-high. Add in some red chili flakes, and add the shrimp in an even layer. After 3 minutes, stir the shrimp to make sure it’s evenly cooked. Cook for another 3 minutes, then remove from heat.

3. Once the water is boiling, add the gnocchi and cook for 3 minutes. Don’t overcook the gnocchi! Drain the gnocchi and leave a bit of water leftover (about 1-2 ounces).

4. In the large pot add the cooked shrimp, tomatoes, butter, Mascarpone, pesto, and Parmesan to the gnocchi. Feel free to add in a pinch of extra salt if necessary.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take photos of my results. Here’s Blue Apron’s photo, however. Just pretend the corn isn’t there.