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Hi Bold Bakers!
This ricotta gnocchi couldn’t be easier if I tried. It has only four ingredients — six if you count the salt and pepper — comes together in a snap, and the taste and texture are just heavenly.
I adapted this recipe from one I saw on Gimmie Some Oven. Ali’s recipes are really reliable, definitely check her out!
This gnocchi is a lovely little dumpling and not heavy like you may think. In fact, they’re a lot like the texture of potato gnocchi, light and chewy. Unlike potato gnocchi, though, they’re a lot faster to make. Honestly, it’s faster than cooking dried pasta!
Ricotta gnocchi comes out perfectly every time: never mushy, never flavorless. You’re a pro already, trust me! I like to serve mine with some pesto and a nice grating of parm on top, but a good red sauce would be delicious too.
What Is Ricotta Gnocchi?
Unlike traditional gnocchi, which is made with potatoes, this gnocchi is made with whole milk ricotta cheese. It has a lighter texture than the starchy potato variety. You basically mix the ingredients, roll it into a thin log, cut bite-sized pieces, and voila! You’re a professional Italian cuisine chef.
What You Need To Make Ricotta Gnocchi
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Paper towels
- Mixing bowls
How To Make Ricotta Gnocchi
You know those nights when you’re too tired to cook but want something really delicious? Bookmark this recipe. Here is how you make ricotta gnocchi (get all the measurements here):
- To make the dough, you first have to remove the excess moisture from the ricotta. Place some paper towels on a plate, put the ricotta on top, and put a few more sheets of paper towels on top of that. Press down to remove the liquid. Refresh the towels as needed.
- Transfer the ricotta to a large bowl. Add in the flour, parmesan, eggs, and salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly combined, and mix until the dough JUST forms. Don’t over-mix! If the dough feels too wet, add another few tablespoons of flour.
- On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a round disk and cut into 6 wedges. Using your hands, gently roll out each wedge into an even log, about 3/4-inch wide. Then, cut each log into bite-sized gnocchi squares. Dust the gnocchi with some flour and give them a quick toss; this way, they won’t stick together.
- To cook the gnocchi, put a large pot of water on to boil. Transfer the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once they float to the top, they are ready. It should take less than a minute.
- Drain the gnocchi and serve immediately, tossed with your favorite sauce.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Ricotta Gnocchi
- Take care to handle your dough as little as possible to yield you light gnocchi. Overworking the dough will make your gnocchi tough.
- Use FULL-fat ricotta for more flavor.
- Try off some sage leaves in butter and fry the boiled gnocchi in it to create a sage brown butter sauce.
- If you LOVE truffles as I do, then stir a big spoon of Urbani Truffles into your cooked gnocchi.
How Do I Store Ricotta Gnocchi?
You can keep the raw, cut gnocchi dough in the fridge for up to 36 hours. Cook it off when you want fresh gnocchi!
Make More Pasta!
- 2-Ingredient Homemade Pasta
- 3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Pasta
- 3-Ingredient Whole Wheat
- 3-Ingredient Homemade Gnocchi
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
The Easiest Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (one 15-ounce container) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup (5oz/142g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (2oz/57g) freshly-grated parmesan
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
Making the Gnocchi Dough
- First thing is to remove excess moisture from the ricotta. Place a few sheets of kitchen paper on a plate, add the ricotta and place a few more sheets on top. Press down on the ricotta to remove liquid. Refresh paper if needed.
- Transfer the ricotta to a large bowl and add the flour, parmesan, eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly combined. Mix until the dough JUST forms. Avoid over-mixing so your gnocchi doesn't toughen. If it feels too wet, just add in another few tablespoons of flour.
- On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a round disk and cut it into 6 wedges. Using your hands, gently roll out each wedge out into an even log, approximately ¾-inch wide. Cut each log into individual bite-sized little gnocchi squares. Lightly dust the gnocchi with flour once more and give them a quick toss so that they are all lightly coated with flour. (This will help prevent them from sticking together.)
Cooking the Gnocchi
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Carefully transfer the gnocchi to the boiling water to cook. Once they float to the top of the pot they are ready, usually after less than 1 minute.
- Drain the gnocchi and serve immediately, tossed with your favorite sauce and whatever other ingredients sound good!
Can this recipe be doubled?
You think these would freeze well uncooked?
Can it cook in soup as chicken,gnocchi soup? I usually cook the potatoes gnoochi in chicken gnoochi soup.
Can cream cheese or Greek yogurt be used in place of the ricotta?
How to replace eggs here
Can you use whole wheat flour or almond, or coconut?
Do you think a GF flour could be swapped in here with decent results? (To make it low carb or keto?)
I cant wait to try this recipe. My husband used to make his own gnocchi and i miss it. (He passed away 12 months ago). Can you tell me if it can be frozen?
????I’ve been with you since before the baby was born and when you first started online you’re a very special lady that recipe you made with the gnocchi really not wonderful
If I use low fat ricotta, can I add anything to make the flavor a little better without the calories? Thanks!