These ricotta gnocchi only take 10 minutes to make, and are so delicious! You can even make them ahead of time, freeze them, and use when you’re ready!
I love ricotta gnocchi because they are SO EASY to make. While I love traditional potato gnocchi, they can be a bit tedious to make. First you have to peel the potatoes and boil them. Let them cool slightly and finally combine with flour/egg and start shaping.
Instead, with ricotta gnocchi, the ricotta takes the place of the potatoes, and there’s no boiling or peeling required! That’s why they only take 10 minutes to make.
They are also light, fluffy and delicious. If it’s your first time making gnocchi or if traditional potato gnocchi seem intimidating to you, then these ricotta gnocchi are a good first step into the gnocchi-making world.
Origins of this recipe:
I have a confession to make: this gnocchi recipe isn’t mine. I got it from the lovely ladies at Local Aromas – Valeria and Benedetta. They are 2 sisters based in Rome, Italy and they embody Italian culture. Local Aromas is their business that includes food tours in Rome, cooking classes, and an online cooking school.
Their online cooking school is where I got this ricotta gnocchi recipe. But the online school has so much more than a ricotta gnocchi recipe. It starts with the basics, and goes into every minute detail about gnocchi-making. More detail than I could cover in one blog post.
They answer questions like what type of flour to use? How much? What type of potatoes (if you’re making traditional gnocchi). How to make the gnocchi shape? (They provide 3 different ways). All lessons are accompanied by short videos to show you exactly how to complete the steps. After covering the basics, they also provide recipes for traditional gnocchi and 20 other gnocchi variations, like cauliflower gnocchi, gnocchi alla romana, and even bread gnocchi!
I’ve never seen anything like this online cooking school. These ladies are amazing! And they don’t just have a gnocchi module – they have a homemade pasta module, and a wine module. They add a new module every 2 months.
What’s in them?
- Ricotta
- 00 flour
- Egg
- Nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Ricotta gnocchi vs. Potato gnocchi
Ricotta gnocchi don’t have potatoes in them. Some say they are lighter and creamier than potato gnocchi. But I believe if potato gnocchi are done right, they can be just as light as ricotta gnocchi.
As mentioned before, ricotta gnocchi don’t take as long to make because there’s no boiling or peeling potatoes required. Ricotta gnocchi are also more “foolproof” than traditional gnocchi, because when making potato gnocchi, there’a greater risk of over handling them and adding too much flour.
Is gnocchi supposed to be gummy?
No, gnocchi is supposed to be light, soft and pillowy. If your gnocchi is gummy, there’s a good chance that it was kneaded too much and/or too much flour was added.
Sauces to serve them with:
While this recipe covers just how to make the gnocchi, there are so many sauces you can serve them with. I dressed them with an arugula pesto, but a short rib ragu would be delicious in the colder months, a simple butter and sage sauce would be nice, or even a simple fresh tomato sauce.
These ricotta gnocchi are amazing because they pair well with any sort of sauce – it just depends on your mood or the season!
How to Drain the Ricotta:
An important step in making these gnocchi is to drain the ricotta. This is to rid them of most of their moisture so that you have to add less flour. Less flour added means lighter and fluffier gnocchi!
To drain the ricotta, I put it in a sieve, and place the sieve over a bowl. I cover the ricotta with a small piece of parchment paper, and put a weight on top (like a box of salt or another heavy object). I let the ricotta drain for at least half an hour.
How to make ricotta gnocchi – step by step
Place the drained ricotta in a bowl, and gradually add the flour. Add the egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg (photo 1)
Mix with a fork until combined (photo 2)
Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and gently knead it until the dough comes together. If necessary, add more flour. When your dough is soft, smooth, and no longer sticks to your hands or work surface, dust it with flour and leave it to rest for a few minutes (photo 3)
Clean your work space with a scraper to remove loose bits of dough and excess flour. You need a clean work surface when you roll out the gnocchi.
Cut a piece off of the dough and roll it into a long rope, about 1/2 of an inch thick. You can add more flour if needed (photo 4)
With a knife, cut pieces from the rope into pillows. The pillows can be as small or as large as you’d like (photo 5)
Place on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with flour to keep them from sticking.
Cooking them:
To cook the gnocchi, simply boil water in a pot, add salt when it comes to a boil and throw the gnocchi in. Boil the gnocchi, and when they are ready, they will float to the top. Remove them at this point and mix them in with your sauce of choice.
Storing them:
If you will be using your gnocchi almost right away, you can keep them on the baking sheet at room temperature for a few hours with a kitchen cloth over them.
If using the next day or later, freezing them uncooked is the best way to store them. Place them in a plastic freezer bag, and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Top Tips:
- Be sure to drain the ricotta before using, or else you too much flour will need to be added, making them gummy and chewy.
- The flour amount is an approximation. This is what worked for me, but it depends on the ricotta you’re using, flour and the humidity of your environment. You may need to add more or less flour depending on these factors.
- I made a pillow shape with these gnocchi, but you can also use a gnocchi board or fork to shape the gnocchi. Shaping gnocchi is covered extensively in Valeria and Benedetta’s course.
More gnocchi and specialty pasta recipes:
- Butternut squash gnocchi
- Stuffed pasta shells with ricotta, spinach and butternut squash
- Heart ravioli with sage brown butter sauce
If you’ve tried making these Ricotta Gnocchi or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
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Easy Ricotta Gnocchi – Only 4 Ingredients!
These ricotta gnocchi only take 10 minutes to make, and are so delicious! You can even make them ahead of time, freeze them, and use when you're ready!
Ingredients
- 1 cup ricotta drained
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp 00 flour plus more for rolling
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Place the drained ricotta in a bowl, and gradually add the flour.
-
Add the egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix with a fork until combined.
-
Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and gently knead it until the dough comes together. If necessary, add more flour. When your dough is soft, smooth, and no longer sticks to your hands or work surface, dust it with flour and leave it to rest for a few minutes.
-
Clean your work space with a scraper to remove loose bits of dough and excess flour. You need a clean work surface when you roll out the gnocchi.
-
Cut a piece off of the dough and roll it into a long rope, about 1/2 of an inch thick. You can add more flour if needed.
-
With a knife, cut pieces from the rope into pillows. The pillows can be as small or as large as you'd like.
-
Place on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with flour to keep them from sticking.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to drain the ricotta before using, or else you too much flour will need to be added, making them gummy and chewy.
- The flour amount is an approximation. This is what worked for me, but it depends on the ricotta you’re using, flour and the humidity of your environment. You may need to add more or less flour depending on these factors.
- I made a pillow shape with these gnocchi, but you can also use a gnocchi board or fork to shape the gnocchi. Shaping gnocchi is covered extensively in Valeria and Benedetta’s course.
- You can also use fresh nutmeg instead of ground nutmeg. You will have to adjust the amount of fresh nutmeg, since it’s stronger in flavor than ground nutmeg.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I make a small commission if you purchases Valeria and Benedetta’s online cooking school.
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