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This simple ricotta gnocchi recipe is quicker than traditional gnocchi! Done in under an hour, this doughy fresh pasta is irresistible.
Here’s our recipe for homemade gnocchi, that delicious pillowy fresh pasta. You can eat it with marinara or bolognese, in a cream sauce with mushrooms, or even in soup! These gnocchi are ricotta gnocchi, which are quicker to make than the traditional potato gnocchi. Try them with your favorite jarred high quality marinara sauce in this recipe!
How to make this ricotta gnocchi recipe
Alex and I love gnocchi: those delicious fresh pasta dough balls! We first ate gnocchi on our honeymoon in Italy, and it’s been a favorite ever since. There are lots of great packaged gnocchi out there, so you don’t always have to make it fresh. However, if you’re up for a challenge, fresh gnocchi is incredibly delicious.
Traditional gnocchi is made with potatoes, which are boiled and then riced using a potato ricer. The potatoes are then mixed with flour and eggs, made into a dough, and boiled. Making traditional gnocchi typically takes a few hours. Over the years, Alex and I have found an easier method: this ricotta gnocchi recipe. Using ricotta instead of potatoes makes for a quicker gnocchi process. This ricotta gnocchi recipe takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to make with two people. We definitely recommend finding a friend or significant other for the gnocchi shaping process: it’s much easier and quicker!
For this ricotta gnocchi recipe, ricotta cheese is mixed with flour, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. It’s worked into a dough, rolled into long strands, and then cut into the gnocchi pillows. Because it takes a while to form the gnocchi, it’s best to save this one for special occasions. But, the overall process is simple and it can be completed in under an hour! Good luck, and let us know if you make this ricotta gnocchi recipe in the comments below.
Looking for gnocchi recipes?
We love using gnocchi in our recipes! Many of our recipes call for packaged gnocchi, so you don’t have to make it fresh. Here are few recipes that could use fresh or packaged gnocchi (including this ricotta gnocchi recipe):
- Tomato Basil Gnocchi Soup
- 5 Minute Romesco Gnocchi Sauce Recipe
- Pumpkin Gnocchi Bake with Goat Cheese
- Italian Vegetable & Gnocchi Soup
Looking for Italian recipes?
At A Couple Cooks we love making Italian recipes! Outside of this homemade ricotta gnocchi recipe, here are some of our favorite Italian recipes:
- Homemade Easy Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Vegan Italian Pasta Salad
- Tomato & Grilled Eggplant Stacked Sandwich
- Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Recipe
- 15-Minute Gnocchi with Romesco Sauce
This recipe is…
This homemade ricotta gnocchi recipe is vegetarian.
Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This simple ricotta gnocchi recipe is quicker than traditional gnocchi! Done in under an hour, this doughy fresh pasta is irresistible.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 10 ounces whole milk ricotta (about 2 cups)
- ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan (plus more for serving)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- One jar high-quality marinara sauce
- Olive oil
- Fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with well-salted water and bring it to a boil.
- In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add ricotta, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and kosher salt, and mix until well combined. Add the flour; stir just until combined.
- Lightly flour a countertop, then turn out the dough and gently knead a few times until a very sticky dough forms. Divide the dough in 8 equal portions. (Wash your hands to remove the sticky dough!)
- Find a friend or significant other for this part! Shaping the gnocchi is much easier with two people. Prepare a baking sheet and lightly flour the countertop again. Roll one of the portions of the dough into a log about 14 inches long and ½ inch in diameter. Use a butter knife to cut the dough into 1-inch-long pillows. Place the formed gnocchi on the baking sheet. Reflour the countertop and shape another dough; repeat until all gnocchi are formed.
- Cook gnocchi in batches in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi float for 30 seconds (about 2 to 3 minutes per batch).
- Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
- Heat the marinara sauce in a skillet, then add the cooked gnocchi. Remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil sliced in thin strips (chiffonade), if desired.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
How can this be made ahead, storing after the gnocchi have been formed? Will they keep in the fridge a day or two if you boil and then oil them?
We have not tested this ourselves but it should work!
We have not tested this ourselves, but it should work!
We made this last night and I’m not sure if perhaps I measured my flour differently or what, but I needed WAY more flour before anything close to dough formed! I ended up adding probably another cup. It ended up delicious!
Simply beautiful and delicious!