These cheesy Italian ricotta dumplings are tender and chewy, and covered in emerald green pesto they’re everything that a cozy dinner should be.

Ricotta Dumplings with Pesto

Ready for a recipe you never knew you needed? These ricotta dumplings are just that: pillowy clouds of cheese that are covered in a bright green pesto sauce. They’re basically homemade pasta (not the noodle-y kind but the dumpling kind) and 100% romantic. They’re the perfect kitchen activity to spend time with a loved one (or two or three). Keep reading for the recipe!

How to make ricotta dumplings

These dumplings are similar to gnocchi, but are made with ricotta cheese instead of potatoes: they’re actually called gnudi. Gnudi result in a lighter, more pillowy dish than most typical gnocchi. (Unless you make ricotta gnocchi, like we do!)

How to make ricotta dumplings? Here are the main steps:

  1. Stir together the ricotta dumpling dough: egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and flour.
  2. Form the dough into dumplings with two spoons, and place them on a baking sheet.
  3. Boil the dumplings for about 5 to 6 minutes, until tender.
  4. Drain and serve with sauce.

The ricotta dumplings come out light and airy, and combined with flavorful pesto, they’re a novel treat for a special meal. As we mention in the instructions below, they’re best made with two people: and that makes for a fun kitchen date! It’s helpful to have two people shaping the dumpling dough and then boiling them together. Of course you can do it on your own, but what’s more fun than making homemade pasta together?

Pesto for ricotta dumplings

How to serve ricotta dumplings

There are lots of ways to serve ricotta dumplings: here we’ve chosen a bright green kale pesto. However, there are lots of great sauces that would go well with these dumplings, for example:

Looking for more Italian vegetarian recipes?

Outside of these ricotta dumplings, here are a few more Italian vegetarian recipes we love:

This ricotta dumpling recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Ricotta Dumplings with Kale Pesto


  • Author: a Couple Cooks
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

These cheesy Italian ricotta dumplings are tender and chewy, and covered in emerald green pesto they’re everything that a cozy dinner should be.


Ingredients

Scale

For the kale pesto (or substitute basil pesto)

  • 2 cups kale leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ⅓ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 pinches kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
  • ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup olive oil

For the ricotta dumplings

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

To serve

  • ½ cup kale pesto
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Make the kale pesto: Wash and roughly chop the kale. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, kale, and walnuts. Pulse 5 to 6 times until the ingredients are chopped finely but are not mushy. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar to the food processor, then turn it on and add the olive oil in a steady stream. Makes 1 cup: use ½ cup for the recipe and reserve the remainder.
  2. For the ricotta dumpling: In a large bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk. Add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and kosher salt and mix until well combined. Add the flour; stir just until combined and mixture forms a ball; add more flour as necessary if the dough is too wet (we added ¾ cup flour total).
  3. To make the dumplings, using two people is helpful. Dust a rimmed baking sheet generously with flour. Use 2 large soup spoons to shape heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into football shapes, and then place them on the baking sheet. Then roll the dumplings with more flour so that they are fully coated (results in around 30 dumplings).
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the dumplings, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. (Note: The dumpling will quickly float to surface, but continue cooking for the entire 5 to 6 minutes until they are fully cooked).
  5. Drain the dumplings, then return them to the pan. Add the kale pesto, a few drizzles olive oil, fresh grated nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and a bit of kosher salt. Gently toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Ricotta dumplings, ricotta gnocchi

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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20 Comments

  1. I made my first homemade gnocchi a couple of weeks ago, and man alive, were they good. I love the idea of ricotta in place of potato. These sound fantastic!

  2. So does this mean no surprise Valentine’s Day recipe? We may give these a try since your paella was such a hit last year.

    Hope you guys have a blast in Vegas.

    1. Haha! Yes, so sorry to not have a surprise meal this year! But thanks for the reminder — we may have to make one just for you!

  3. These sound like the perfect romantic dinner, especially since all parties will have the same level of garlic breath afterward. :) I forgot about kale pesto! Must make some.

  4. hi! i am checking out the rest of your recipes after being delighted by the raw brownies you concocted in Sept. amazing!
    just wondering if you think these gnudi could be made using almond flour instead of wheat flour.

    1. Good question! We have not worked much with almond flour, but I would think it would work as a substitute! Let us know if you try it out!

  5. I love ricotta gnocchi, it’s one of my go-to meals especially when I’m short of time because it doesn’t take much more than 10 minutes to get it from raw ingredients to the plate! Such a lovely combination with the kale pesto too.

  6. I’m going to try these with goat cheese instead of ricotta. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how much I might use. I’ll report back with my results!

    1. Sounds like a great idea! I guess I’d start with the same amount of cheese as the ricotta, and see where that takes you (and then add enough flour to make them just come together into a dough). Excited to see how they turn out!

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