This Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi recipe is as simple as it is delicious. All you need is 5 simple ingredients for this amazing gnocchi recipe. Enjoy!
We Love Homemade Cheese Gnocchi!
Homemade gnocchi is one of our favorites in The Cheese Knees kitchen, and today we’ve jazzed it up with ricotta cheese to make all your homemade gnocchi dreams come true 😀
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling-like dish that’s typically made with flour, egg yolks, cheese, and potatoes.
Is gnocchi pasta? Gnocchi is not pasta. It is a chewy dumpling typically made out of potatoes.
What is Ricotta Gnocchi?
Ricotta gnocchi is a gnocchi dumpling made out of flour, egg yolks, and ricotta. Ricotta cheese is used in place of potato, which is used in traditional gnocchi.
Ricotta Gnocchi Ingredients
All you need is the following 5 ingredients to make this ricotta gnocchi! You’ll need:
- Ricotta cheese (store-bought, or make your own ricotta cheese!)
- Egg yolks
- Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
Homemade
Ricotta Cheese
Ever wonder how to make ricotta cheese? This homemade ricotta cheese recipe only calls for 4 ingredients and takes less than 1 hour to prepare.
How to Make Ricotta Gnocchi
No need to feel intimidated by this recipe for gnocchi with ricotta! It is as simple as it is delicious, and we’ll walk you through the entire thing, step by step:
Boil Water
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil and add enough salt so that it tastes like the ocean.
Prep Gnocchi Ingredients
To prepare the ricotta cheese: drain away any excess liquid, then press the ricotta between a few layers of paper towel to remove any remaining moisture. The ricotta should be quite dry before you proceed.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolks, Parmigiano, and salt. Whisk together until just combined. Add in the ¾ cup flour, and using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Do not over mix or your gnocchi will be tough. The dough should be a bit sticky, yet hold together well.
Don’t have parmigiano? When making the gnocchi, in place of Parmigiano, you can add another hard cheese like Grana Padano or pecorino.
Pro tip: If the gnocchi feels too wet, add another tablespoon or two of flour.
Roll Gnocchi
Liberally dust your workspace with some additional flour, and transfer the dough to your counter. Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into quarters.
Using your hands, gently roll out each quarter into thick ropes, keeping enough flour on your workspace so that the dough doesn’t stick. If the log gets too long to handle, divide it in half and continue rolling until you reach ¾-inch wide.
Cut each log into 1-inch pieces. Lightly dust the gnocchi with flour once more, and toss to gently coat with the flour so that they don’t stick.
Boil Gnocchi
Carefully transfer the gnocchi to the boiling water, shaking off any excess flour before they go in the water. Once the gnocchi float to the top of the boiling water, about 1-1.5 minutes, they are fully cooked!
Serve with Fave Sauce & Enjoy!
Using a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, transfer the cooked gnocchi directly to the sauce they will be served in, or plunge into cold water to stop them from cooking further, and to keep for future use.
Making Your Own Ricotta for this Gnocchi?
Homemade ricotta cheese is a brilliant way for anyone to begin their journey into home cheesemaking. The magic of turning fresh milk and cream into delicate curds and whey is deeply satisfying and deliciously simple!
We teach you all about ricotta including how to make ricotta cheese in THIS post.
Pro Tip: When using homemade ricotta for this recipe, make sure any lumps are whisked smooth before adding the flour and mixing the dough.
Can You Double This Recipe?
This recipe can easily be doubled – just add an extra tablespoon or two of flour to the dough, if needed.
Serving Suggestions
You can keep this ricotta gnocchi super simple by tossing them in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and serving it with freshly grated parmesan. Or, complete this ricotta gnocchi by serving with your favorite pasta sauce! We love:
- butter, sage, and shaved or grated parmesan.
- mushroom pasta sauce
- garlic butter sauce
- marinara sauce or tomato sauce and shaved parmesan cheese
- pesto (check out our homemade pesto on Fit Foodie Finds!)
- bolognese and shaved parmesan
- cream cheese alfredo sauce topped with lemon zest
- vodka sauce topped with parmesan cheese.
shaving your own cheese?
To create thin shavings of a hard cheese, use a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer on the widest side of the cheese. Remove the rind to make it easier for you to create thin, even slices.
Try it!
Ricotta Gnocchi with Sweet Pea Butter Sauce
This Ricotta Gnocchi with Sweet Pea Butter Sauce has the most flavorful sauce and uses this homemade ricotta gnocchi recipe!
How to Store Ricotta Gnocchi
To store: drain off the water from the gnocchi after boiling, and toss in a little olive oil before storing in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Can You Freeze Ricotta Gnocchi?
Ricotta gnocchi can easily be made ahead and frozen! To do this, you’ll cook the gnocchi right from frozen.
How to Freeze Ricotta Gnocchi: Flour a baking sheet and lay the gnocchi out in one layer not touching, and freeze completely. Dust off the frozen gnocchi leaving any excess flour behind, and transfer to a freezer bag.
How to Cook Frozen Gnocchi: To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi from frozen – they may take up to one additional minute to cook through and rise to the surface of the water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the sauce, toss, and enjoy! Easy as that.
Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 oz. fresh Ricotta cheese pressed dry
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + more for rolling
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil and add enough salt so that it tastes like the ocean.
- To prepare the ricotta cheese, drain away any excess liquid, then press the ricotta between a few layers of paper towel to remove any remaining moisture. The ricotta should be quite dry before you proceed.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolks, Parmigiano, and salt. Whisk together until just combined. Add in the ¾ cup flour, and using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Do not overmix or your gnocchi will be tough. The dough should be a bit sticky, yet hold together well. If it feels too wet, add another tablespoon or two of flour.
- Liberally dust your workspace with some additional flour, and transfer the dough to your counter. Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into quarters.
- Using your hands, gently roll out each quarter into an even log, keeping enough flour on your workspace so that the dough doesn’t stick. If the log gets too long to handle, divide it in half and continue rolling until you reach ¾-inch wide.
- Cut each log into bite-sized pieces, about ¾-inch long. Lightly dust the gnocchi with flour once more, and toss to gently coat with the flour so that they don’t stick.
- Carefully transfer the gnocchi to the boiling water, shaking off any excess flour before they go in the water. Once the gnocchi float to the top of the boiling water, about 1-1.5 minutes, they are fully cooked!
- Using a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, transfer the cooked gnocchi directly to the sauce they will be served in, or plunge into cold water to stop them from cooking further, and to keep for future use.
- To store: drain off the water and toss in a little olive oil before storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
