Gluten-Free Ricotta Gnocchi with Seafood in Champagne Cream {Coupes and Caviar}

For the entree at Jenn's Coupes and Caviar birthay dinner party, I wanted something that I could prep ahead of time and, then, cook while entertaining (read "drinking many coupes of sparkling wine), and have it be elegant and impressive. I decided on ricotta gnocchi with some champagne and caviar. Fancy, right?

And one of the best compliments I've ever received abut my cooking came from Pia. "Still dreaming about your gnocchi, Cam." Sweet!

Ingredients

Gnocchi

• 2 C whole-milk ricotta
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/4 C gluten-free flour + more for rolling
• 1-1/2 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• dash of grated nutmeg
• freshly ground pepper

Sauce

• 1/3 C butter
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 pound cod
• 1/2 pound scallops
• 1/2 pound peeled shrimp
• 1/2 pound cracked crab
• 1-1/2 C champagne
• 1-1/2 C organic heavy cream
• freshly ground pepper
• golden salmon roe for garnish
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish

Procedure

Gnocchi
Stir together ricotta, eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add flour, stirring with a silicone spatula to form a soft, wet dough. Shape dough on a parchment-lined surface with lightly floured hands. Roll into 1" ropes and cut crosswise into 1" pieces with a lightly floured knife to form pillow dumplings.

To form the gnocchi, press a piece of dough onto the tines of a fork. 

Use your thumb to create a dimple in the top of the gnocchi. Roll the dough down the tines to create gnocchi's signature indentations. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once your gnocchi are rolled, make the sauce.

Sauce
In a large pot, melt your butter in a splash of olive oil. Cook shallots until softened and beginning to turn translucent. Add a pinch of saffron. Stir in your seafood and cook until just opaque. Pour in the champagne and cream. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Keep warm.

Finish
Cook gnocchi in a few batches in a pasta pot of boiling salted water with a splash of olive oil. Add a few to the pot at a time, stirring occasionally. When they float to the surface, they are finished. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain in colander.

To Serve
Spoon half of the sauce into your serving dish. Lay the cooked gnocchi on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with salmon roe and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve immediately.