Ricotta gnocchi are an easy and delicate alternative to potato gnocchi – classic gnocchi as you may know them. The pillowy and soft texture of these Italian dumplings has made them world-famous. Traditional gnocchi are made with boiled potatoes, in this recipe we are using ricotta cheese instead.

Pasta is the most famous food from Italy (or is it pizza?). Although gnocchi technically aren’t pasta (they’re made with a different type of dough), they play the same role in Italian menus. Just like pasta, gnocchi are served as a “primo piatto”, the first of the 2 main courses in Italian meals.

If making classic potato gnocchi sounds daunting because of the warm boiled potatoes, ricotta gnocchi can be a good preliminary recipe to get comfortable at making gnocchi. This gnocchi recipe is simpler, and doesn’t require preliminary steps. If you’ve never made gnocchi before, I would totally recommend to start here, making ricotta gnocchi from scratch!

The ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make one batch of ricotta gnocchi. These will serve 4 people.

For more detailed quantities, or to adapt the recipe to serve a larger party, please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.

I live in Sweden and the ricotta I have access to is quite dry. I am aware that some other types of ricotta might be more watery. Depending on the ricotta type you have access to, you may need to place it on a colander for a couple of hours prior, to let any excess liquid drain.

How to make ricotta gnocchi

Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl aside. Combine the ricotta and salt in a larger bowl and lightly press the cheese with the prongs of a fork. Pour in the egg and gently mix with the fork.

When combined, add the flour gradually, gently mixing it in with the fork. Do not overmix and stop when combined. Use a tool, like the fork or a spatula, and not your hands, to prevent working it too hard and developing a glutinic mesh (which would result in chewy and not soft gnocchi). Just use your hands to collect the dough from the bowl, transfer it to a floured working surface and give it a quick knead before rolling it up into a ball.

With a knife or bench scraper, cut off one portion of dough. Roll it into a sausage that is about as thick as your thumb.

Form the gnocchi by cutting up the dough sausage every centimetre. If you have a gnocchi board, you can give them the traditional finish by pressing them against it, but that is totally optional.

Keep the formed gnocchi on a floured surface, with some space in between to prevent them from sticking to one another. Cook in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until they rise to the surface. I recommend to cook them in batches as to not overcrowd the pot. Do not drain like pasta: scoop up the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and use the same simmering water for the following batches.

How to serve ricotta gnocchi

These ricotta gnocchi can be served like most pasta types, that is to say they will complement any pasta sauce. Their delicate flavour and pillowy texture go along very nicely both with creamy sauces as well as chunky meat ones.

Here are some favourites for your inspiration:

• Gnocchi in cheese sauce is probably the most common way I usually have my gnocchi
• With a classic bolognese sauce, a guaranteed success
• Try homemade gnocchi with radicchio and cream
• For a vegetarian alternative, hazelnut and mushroom ragù
• Or just a simple brown butter with sage, like in the picture below:

Want to try more gnocchi types from scratch? Here is my recipe for roasted sweet potato gnocchi!

If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you’re planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.