If you’ve never made homemade gnocchi before, ricotta gnocchi is the perfect place to start. Unlike traditional potato gnocchi, ricotta gnocchi is incredibly light, soft, and comes together with just a few simple ingredients. There’s no boiling potatoes or waiting for them to cool—just mix, roll, cut, and cook.

These delicate little pillows are tender enough to melt in your mouth while still holding their shape beautifully in your favorite sauce. Whether tossed in browned butter and sage, a rich marinara, or a creamy Alfredo, ricotta gnocchi transforms a simple dinner into something truly special.

What will you need?

• For the gnocchi
• ricotta cheese
• salt
• pepper
• nutmeg
• lemon zest
• egg
• pecorino or parmesan
• AP flour
• for the sauce
• sweet onion
• garlic
• extra virgin olive oil
• fennel seeds
• salt
• pepper
• Calabrian chilies or chili flakes, optional if you want some spice
• tomato paste
• red wine
• Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• oregano
• fresh basil
• parmesan
• Garlic bread for serving

How to make it

Start with the sauce.

Add extra virgin olive oil to a pot over medium heat and add in the onion. Sauté until soft and translucent. About 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, fennel, salt, pepper, and Calabrian chilies. Cook for 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and cook out the alcohol for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes to a bowl and smash with your hands until they are all broken up. You can also blend until you get your desired consistency. Pout the tomatoes into the pot. Wash the bowl with a half cup of water to get all the remaining tomato sauce and pour into the pot. Add in the oregano. Tear some basil with your hands and add to the pot. Let simmer for 1.5 hours, occasionally stirring. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more water. Taste for salt.

Make the gnocchi

Add the ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, lemon zest, egg, and pecorino toa bowl and mix. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. The dough should be slightly tacky but not overly sticky. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the gnocchi dense.

Lightly flour your work surface. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about ¾-inch thick. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut into 1-inch pieces. For classic ridges, gently roll each piece over the back of a fork or a gnocchi board. Place the finished gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a gentle boil. Add in the gnocchi. Once they float to the top, continue cooking for another 30–60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to your sauce. Add a splash of the cooking water and mix. Add in freshly grated parmesan and torn basil.

Spoon onto a serving plate and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, grated parmesan, and fresh basil. Serve with garlic bread. Hope you enjoy!

Ricotta Gnocchi

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• For the sauce

• 1/2 sweet onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tbsp Calabrian chiles, optional for spice. You can also use 1 tsp chili flakes

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 28oz can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 tsp oregano

• 5-8 fresh basil leaves

• freshly grated parmesan

• For the Gnocchi

• 16oz ricotta cheese

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• zest from 1 lemon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

• 1 cup AP flour, plus more for dusting

• For serving

• freshly grated parmesan

• fresh basil

• garlic bread

Directions

• Make the sauce
• Add extra virgin olive oil to a pot over medium heat and add in the onion. Sauté until soft and translucent. About 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, fennel, salt, pepper, and Calabrian chilies. Cook for 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and cook out the alcohol for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes to a bowl and smash with your hands until they are all broken up. You can also blend until you get your desired consistency. Pout the tomatoes into the pot. Wash the bowl with a half cup of water to get all the remaining tomato sauce and pour into the pot. Add in the oregano. Tear some basil with your hands and add to the pot. Let simmer for 1.5 hours, occasionally stirring. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more water. Taste for salt.
• Make the gnocchi
• Add the ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, lemon zest, egg, and pecorino toa bowl and mix. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. The dough should be slightly tacky but not overly sticky. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the gnocchi dense. Add more flour if needed
• Lightly flour your work surface. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about ¾-inch thick. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut into 1-inch pieces. For classic ridges, gently roll each piece over the back of a fork or a gnocchi board. Place the finished gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a gentle boil. Add in the gnocchi. Once they float to the top, continue cooking for another 30–60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer directly to your sauce. Add a splash of the cooking water and mix. Add in freshly grated parmesan and torn basil.
• Spoon onto a serving plate and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, grated parmesan, and fresh basil. Serve with garlic bread. Hope you enjoy!