Bring something new to your dinner routine with our Ricotta Gnocchi, an Italian-inspired comfort food that’s as impressive as it is easy to make. Unlike traditional potato gnocchi, these delicate, pillowy dumplings come together in a fraction of the time, making them perfect for a weeknight treat or a special occasion.
Serve them with a rich, homemade sauce made with fresh tomatoes to complement their creamy texture, or get creative by pairing them with seasonal vegetables, a homeade pesto, or a hearty vegan mushroom ragu.
Cooking gnocchi isn't nearly as hard as you might think. It's a lot like rolling out Play-Doh Snakes with a preschooler. You can let your kids help!
Ricotta Gnocchi Ingredients
For the Gnocchi
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. Don't skimp on lower-fat versions as it will affect the texture and flavor of this recipe
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour. Look for 00 flour, also known as pizza or pasta flour, which is a fine ground Italian flour, and makes the gnocchi have a lighter texture
- Eggs. Holds the ricotta dumpling dough together.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese. Adds flavor. Get Parmigiano-Reggiano, if you can find it and is within your budget or get any other parmesan cheese you can find. Pecorino Romano cheese works great as well.
- Salt. Brings all the flavors together.
- Olive Oil. Add to the boiling water to prevent the gnocchi from sticking
For the Sauce
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Onion
- Cloves of Garlic
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- Large Tomatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Aleppo pepper. Or red pepper flakes. This ingredient adds heat and is optional.
- Dried Oregano
- Fresh Basil Leaves. Chopped. You can often find a basil plant with roots but no soil at your local grocery store, which is perfect for harvesting fresh basil in winter when you can't keep a pot outside.
How To Make Ricotta Gnocchi Quickly and Easily
- Drain as much water as possible from the ricotta. Wrap the ricotta in a cheesecloth and hang from a cabinet doorknob above the empty ricotta tub
- Combine the drained ricotta with the remaining gnocchi ingredients to form a dough.
- Place parchment paper on your work surface and cover generously with flour
- Roll the dough into thick ropes
- Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces
- Set aside on a floured surface as you continue to roll and cut the remaining dough
How to Make a Fresh Tomato Sauce and Cook the Gnocchi
- Cook the onion and garlic, then add the tomatoes and spices.
- Cook until the tomatoes are softened and thoroughly cooked.
- Use a slotted spoon to lower the gnocchi gently into the water.
- Boil until the ricotta gnocchi float the to surface
- Add the cooked ricotta gnocchi into the pan with the sauce
Tips for Perfect Ricotta Gnocchi
- Choose the best ricotta cheese. Check the label and choose a brand that contains only real, whole-food ingredients. Avoid brands made with fillers and preservatives. High-quality ricotta will list milk and salt, sometimes an acid or active culture, but that's all.
- Drain the ricotta cheese. Make sure to drain as much excess liquid as you can out of the ricotta. This way you will use less flour and the gnocchi will not be heavy and dense they will be light and pillowy.
- Use 00 flour in place of all-purpose flour. You can find this in your local Italian market or specialty foods store.
- Do not overwork the gnocchi dough. Mix it until the ingredients are just combined.
- Add olive oil and salt to the boiling water. This helps flavor the ricotta gnocchi itself and prevents sticking.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. When boiling the gnocchi add only 15-20 gnocchi at a time and cook just until they float to the top.
- Gnocchi are good pan-fried and slightly crispy. If you want to do an extra step tp enhance the flavor of this dish, toss the ricotta gnocchi with a little hot extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet to get that perfect creamy and crispy bite after it finishes boiling.
How To Serve Gnocchi
Plan to serve your ricotta gnocchi with crusty Italian bread, garlic bread, or focaccia. You may also have it with a simple Fatoush, Tabouli, or Caprese salad for a true Mediterranean dinner. Serve the dish hot immediately so the gnocchi won't have time to stick together. I recommend having grated parmesan and coarsely ground black pepper available on the table.
The simple homemade tomato sauce we used in this recipe is divine and perfect for this dish. You can also serve your ricotta gnocchi with pesto, creamy bechamel, sage brown butter sauce, or a cream sauce with lemon zest. If you are short on time, you can substitute your favorite store-bought sauce.
How To Freeze Gnocchi
You may freeze gnocchi uncooked. Place the individually cut pieces in a single layer on a sheet pan and let them freeze for a couple of hours before placing them into a freezer bag or airtight container for long-term storage. When you are ready to cook the frozen gnocchi place them straight from the freezer into the boiling water. You will need to allow a bit more time to boil the pasta, but not much.
Making Gnocchi Ahead of Time
As mentioned above you can certainly freeze gnocchi. You can make the dough and let it rest in the fridge until ready to shape and cook, but no longer than 24 hours. You can even shape the gnocchi, spread them on a baking sheet, and store them covered with plastic wrap in the fridge until ready to boil. Don't do this more than 24 hours in advance.
Ricotta gnocchi can also be dried in a dehydrator or low-temperature oven for short-term storage. We haven't tried this method, since we don't own a dehydrator but we've read it works. Let us know if you've tried dehydrating gnocchi before.
While leftovers may certainly be kept in the refrigerator, we do not recommend making the gnocchi and keeping uncooked or cooked gnocchi in the refrigerator before your first meal. It is best when served fresh from the pot or cooked from frozen or dried.
Healthy Side Dishes to Serve with Your Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
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Ricotta Gnocchi
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 60 gnocchi 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Bring something new to your dinner routine with our Ricotta Gnocchi, an Italian-inspired comfort food that’s as impressive as it is easy to make. Unlike traditional potato gnocchi, these delicate, pillowy dumplings come together in a fraction of the time, making them perfect for a weeknight treat or a special occasion.
Ingredients
For the gnocchi
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup 00 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, if 00 flour is not available
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil (to be added to the water used to boil the gnocchi)
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 pint of assorted grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
- ⅓ tsp dried oregano
- 12-14 fresh basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Prep your ricotta cheese. Place the ricotta cheese in a cheesecloth and let it drain as much as possible. We like to hang it from the knob of the kitchen cabinet with a bowl or the ricotta container at the bottom to catch the excess water. This will take a couple of hours. See the images above for guidance.
- Combine drained ricotta, flour, egg, cheese, garlic powder, oregano, and salt in a bowl and mix to form a dough (do not overwork it, mix until the ingredients are just combined). Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, prepare 2 floured surfaces, one to roll the dough and the other one to place the gnocchi.
- Fill a large soup pot with water. Add the salt and olive oil and bring to a boil (you can use less salt if you prefer, but this is your only chance to salt the gnocchi)
- Roll the dough into ropes and cut them into 1" pieces.
- Gently drop 15-20 gnocchi into the boiling water, being careful not to get splashed with the boiling water. Alternatively, use a large slotted spoon to lower the gnocchi into the water.
- Boil until they float to the surface, and quickly remove and place them in a heat-proof bowl. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.
- Set them aside drizzle some olive oil, so they don't stick together, and prepare the sauce
For the Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is translucent
- Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, Aleppo pepper ( if using), and oregano
- Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and cooked
- Add the cooked gnocchi and fresh basil and stir gently
Notes
- Using 00 flour which is finer will yield lighter gnocchi
- Do not overwork the gnocchi dough, mix until the ingredients are just combined.
- When boiling the gnocchi, make sure to add olive oil and salt as per the recipe.
- When boiling the gnocchi add only 15-20 gnocchi at a time and cook just until they float to the top.
- Gnocchi is actually really good fried and slightly crispy. Toss it with a little hot extra virgin olive oil in a skillet after it finishes boiling to get that perfect creamy and crispy bite.
- Use a ricotta cheese brand that contains only real ingredients, without any fillers, preservatives, etc. Since this is a 3 ingredient gnocchi recipe, the quality of the ingredients matters.
- You can also serve these ricotta gnocchi with store-bought sauce, pesto, or creamy bechamel
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 20 gnocchi with sauce
- Calories: 373
- Sugar: 4.4
- Sodium: 960.6
- Fat: 19.1
- Saturated Fat: 8.2
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35.9
- Fiber: 2.7
- Protein: 15.2
- Cholesterol: 73.2
Abby
How many days can this be kept in the refrigerator?
Vicky and Ruth
3-4 days
Linda
I am a gnocchi snob! These delicious,melt in your mouth pillows of hand rolled pasta are outstanding. A must try recipe!
Vicky and Ruth
Thank you so much Linda! I am so glad you enjoyed it! I love that you are a Gnocchi snob!