I can’t stop making this ricotta gnocchi recipe! The moment you realize how easy and delicious they are, I don’t think you will be able to stop, either!
Making ricotta gnocchi for the first time made me feel like a total rockstar! It’s one of those recipes that seems almost too easy. It’s genuinely so simple, not to mention it turns out just as well as our beloved potato gnocchi recipe!
Ricotta makes the dumplings unbelievably light, fluffy, and almost cloud-like! About 20 minutes stand between you and delicious homemade gnocchi. You’ll make our simple dough, roll it into ropes, and quickly cut it into little squares. Then, you only need 5 minutes to cook them!
Key Ingredients
- Flour: You can use either all-purpose or “00” flour. Many traditional Italian recipes call for “00” flour, but don’t stress if you don’t have it. All-purpose works perfectly well. If you buy “00” flour and have some leftover, I also use it to make homemade pasta and pizza dough.
- Ricotta: This is the star of our recipe, so use the highest quality you can find. Whole milk is a must for this one, and we want it to be thick. If your ricotta seems watery, add it to a fine mesh strainer and let it sit for 10 minutes to drain any excess water.
- Egg: One egg helps our dough come together, adds a bit of fat, and keeps it light and fluffy.
- Parmesan: For the best flavor, use Parmigiano-Reggiano and finely grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well and won’t be as fine.
- Lemon: This is optional, but I love adding a little finely grated lemon zest to my ricotta gnocchi dough. If you aren’t into it or don’t have a lemon, don’t worry, the gnocchi will still be excellent without it. As a substitute, you can add finely chopped fresh herbs (like basil, dill, or parsley).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Ricotta Gnocchi
Tip 1: Make the dumplings. Stir the dough ingredients together with a spoon, shape into a rectangle, and cut into 4 equal(ish) pieces. Then, use your childhood play dough skills and roll them into ropes. From there, cut into little squares. At this point, you can cook them or freeze them (freezing tips are below).
Tip 2: Cook the dumplings. My favorite way to cook ricotta gnocchi is to boil them in salted water (just like homemade pasta). It only takes 2 to 3 minutes. Then, toss them into a skillet with melted butter to get them a little crispy around the edges.
Tip 3: Freeze for later. Place a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the uncooked gnocchi into the freezer and freeze for 1 hour or until the individual pieces are hard. Transfer the semi-frozen gnocchi to airtight freezer-friendly bags. Then, keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to cook, remove it from the freezer and cook it from frozen using the directions above.
Servings Suggestions
You can serve these with some extra cheese or toss them in your favorite sauce. My favorites are my quick marinara, slightly more decadent red pasta sauce, and basil pesto.
This is lovely all by itself, but you can always round out your meal with something on the side. We especially love a fresh salad, like this Italian chopped salad, fresh greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, or Caprese salad. For something warm, try sautéed spinach or a slice of roasted garlic bread.
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Perfect Ricotta Gnocchi
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
The dough comes together in under twenty minutes, allowing you to cook it immediately or freeze for later. Serve the gnocchi plain with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and herbs, or elevate it with a buttery crust and light marinara sauce. Follow the instructions below for making the dough, cooking, and freezing.
You Will Need
3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet and workbench
1 ounce (28g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated, about 1/3 cup, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup (250g) whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
Salt for cooking
2 tablespoons butter, optional for cooking
2 cups warmed marinara sauce, optional for serving
Directions
1Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.
2Make gnocchi dough: Mix 3/4 cup of flour, 1 ounce of finely grated parmesan cheese, and 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest in a large bowl until well blended.
3Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and then add 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1 egg. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough comes together. The dough should come together within 20 to 30 strokes of your spoon. Be careful not to overwork the dough to keep the gnocchi light when cooked.
4Cut the gnocchi: Transfer the dough to a well-floured work bench and pat it together. Shape into a rectangle, then cut into 4 even pieces. If the dough is tacky, add a little more flour.
5Gently roll each piece into a 12-inch long rope about 3/4-inch thick, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
6Cut the ropes into 3/4-inch pieces, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet with flour. Shimmy the baking sheet so that the flour lightly coats each piece. Cook gnocchi or freeze for later (see freezing tips below).
7Cook gnocchi: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the gnocchi starts to float to the top. As they finish cooking, use a slotted spoon to remove from the water.
8If serving with butter and marinara sauce, while the gnocchi cook, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the cooked gnocchi. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the gnocchi has browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Toss with warmed marinara sauce and serve topped with parmesan cheese.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- This recipe has been inspired by Michael Symon.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Love this easy to make recipe! Turns out great every time. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! We are so happy that you love the recipe 🙂
So yummy! Our ricotta was spoiled, however cottage cheese worked perfectly as a substitute! My kids devoured their plates and had fun rolling the dough and cutting the “pillows”. Will make again often!
Thank you for letting us know that cottage cheese works as a substitute. Testing that has been on our to do list for a while. So happy that you family loves the recipe 🙂
I am excited about trying the ricotta recipe. For the holidays I make the potato gnocchi with browned butter and sage with parmesan reggiano cheese. Would the ricotta version work with the browned butter and sage?
Definitely!
I’m going to try this soon. I have a small request: could you add a button to the print page so we can print without pictures? Thank you for all the wonderful recipes.
Hi Edith, We have this listed as a reader request. Thanks for reminding us. Best! Joanne
Wonder why mine fell apart when I added them to the boiling water? They seemed fine (not too soft) when I made my ropes and cut into small pieces.
Hi Lynne, I am sorry this happened. It may be that you did not have enough flour added to the mixture or that the dough was too wet. Since ricotta brands vary, it might be a good idea to let your ricotta drain a in a fine mesh colander for 20 to 30 minutes before you make the dough. Then, if the dough is not coming together properly, add a little extra flour before rolling and cutting. I hope this helps! Joanne
I love gnocchi and am going to make this recipe soon. Sounds delicious!
We know that you are going to love this recipe! 🙂
Terrific recipe and very easy – loved the hint of lemon
These were great! Just as good as my potato gnocchi, but much much faster.
These were absolutely delicious and easy to make. My family loved them, thanks for this great recipe!
yummy, I really love it, I always tell to my mum to make this for me. Aunty, I like all your recipes
Yes l did thank you l have made them quite a bit I have visitors tonight and guess what making ricotta gnocchi thank you so much. ?
Could this be made with almond flour to lower the carb content?
Hi Patti, that’s a great question and it might need some testing on your end. I would imagine that the recipe would work out nicely, though.
This is so easy and delicious, there is no need to buy gnocchi. And it tastes so much better! This is the only gnocchi recipe I use and I make it often.
I am so excited to try this Ricotta Gnocchi recipe. Gnocchi has always been my all time favorite pasta but the potato version always feels so rich.
Any chance you have the nutritional facts for this recipe?
It’s paleo and gluten free
OMG! I am so excited! I made this recipe gluten free and they were spectacular! I added a few gratings of nutmeg and some freshly ground salt & pepper. Half the batch I added some thinly sliced, fresh from the garden, basil. Delicious little pillows of heaven! I haven’t even tried them in the browned butter yet! So happy when I can eat something not easily obtained in the marketplace. Thank you!
Did you just use a Gf flour or did you add
xanthan or something?
I have made these gluten free as well, and they turned out great! Any good quality all-purpose gluten-free flour works well. I have used Cup 4 Cup and Better Batter. Both already contain xanthan gum.
I made this tonight and it was devine! A great recipe for a mid week meal.
I have tried to find a ricotta cheese gnocchi recipe since my aunt died. Unfortunately, she didn’t leave her recipe. I tried the flour ones and they were too heavy and tough. I love your recipe. Thanks.
We are so happy you have found us 🙂
Made this tonight, it was sooooo delicious, and incredibly easy! Thank you for this wonderful recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again- and will be sure to freeze some too!
These are soooo delicious. The lemon zest adds just a perfect touch! Thanks for the amazing and simple recipe!
First try and perfect gnocchi , simple to follow and delicious. Will make again..Thank you.
I was wondering if it’s okay to skip the lemon zest?
Yep, you can omit it if you prefer.
Thanks so much for posting this. This recipe inspired me to try making gnocchi again after a gnocchi-fail a number of years ago. It really was easy and turned out great. I made a goat cheese version of the gnocchi that I love as well.
Love your blog!
Thanks so much! Using goat cheese is a fabulous idea!
Tried this last night. I skipped the browning part and it came out great anyway
I wish making ricotta gnocchi were this easy!….. I watched my great grandmother (a true Sicilian) make these for the large family get together. It was an assembly line production with her 4 daughters. They are all gone now and as a labor of love for my husband and close friends, I spend 4 hours at a time making these for the freezer… I do this once every few years because it is a long project.
My great grandmothers recipe, 1 container good quality ricotta, 2 eggs, 1 ricotta container full of all purpose flour. As like the recipe above roll out the dough and make the cuts. This is where it gets time consuming. Each piece, with your index and middle finger, press in the middle and then roll it… This creates a lip that allows the sauce to penetrate the gnocchi. A word of warning…. This version takes 4 hours to make… I know because I just made 2 batches over the last 2 days and it took a little over 8 hours. At least I know my husband won’t starve while I am layed up from surgery… I will just have to worry about his Cholesterol!
On a closing note, if you don’t have time to make a homemade marinara.. Get a bottle of ‘Raos’ marinara at your supermarket. It’s a little pricey but worth every penny… I personally buy it by the case direct from Raos. Good luck and Bon Appetite!
I’ve bookmarked this recipe! It looks amazing. I never really like the traditional potato-based gnocci because it’s just a bit too… potato-y for me, but I love,love,love ricotta so this is a must-try!
Hope you enjoy 🙂
Slide show worked for me, Looks great and easy can’t wait to try it!
Awesome, thanks for letting us know!
Looks awesome! Repinned it so I can try it later. FYI: your slide show isn’t working for me.
Thanks! Sorry about the slider – Not sure why is isn’t working. We’ll look into it.