Perfect Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

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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