Gnocchetti with prawns and fresh Shima wasabi butter

This dish is a twist on an Italian classic that pairs wasabi and butter in an unexpectedly delicious way. Making your own gnocchetti is much simpler than you’d think and the difference to store bought is remarkable. The wasabi hums through the dish and the silky, buttery sauce perfectly coats the gnocchetti and plump pieces of prawn. Divine!

Recipe by Jemma Whiteman

Serves 4 

Ingredients

Gnocchetti
400g fine semolina flour
200g sparkling water
1 tsp olive oil
Pinch salt 

Wasabi butter
200g unsalted butter, softened
1 lemon, zest and juice reserved
9g fresh chives, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Shima wasabi paste 
Pinch salt
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
12 green king prawns, peeled and diced
16 Shima baby wasabi leaves, to garnish 

 Method

1. To make the gnocchetti, mix the semolina, salt, olive oil and sparkling water together in a bowl, and knead until it forms a rough dough.
2. Wrap in cling wrap and leave to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight in the fridge.
3. To make the wasabi butter, whip softened butter with a whisk until soft, then mix through lemon zest, chives and wasabi paste, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Once the dough is rested, roll out onto a floured surface to 1cm thick. Cut into 1 cm wide strips and cut each strip into 1cm pieces so you have roughly 1cm cubes.  
5. Using a gnocchi board (or alternatively, the back of a fork) press and roll the dough using your thumb to create a hollow shape. Dust with extra semolina as you go, making sure they don’t stick together. 
6. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and season well with salt. 
7. In a frypan over medium heat add the olive oil and chopped garlic and cook until softened and fragrant. Add in the prawns and a good few spoonfuls of lemon butter. 
8. Drop the gnocchetti into the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes or until al dente.
9. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the pasta straight from the hot water into the frying pan, adding a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water as you go to help emulsify the butter into the sauce.
10. Season with salt, black pepper and a good squeeze of the reserved lemon juice. 
11. Divide among serving bowls and top with fresh wasabi leaves. Any remaining wasabi butter would be delicious served on top of your next steak or piece of grilled fish.