Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

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You’ll love this homemade ricotta gnocchi recipe.  Light and pillowy ricotta gnocchi is a lovely alternative to potato gnocchi and is so easy to make. Enjoy with your favorite sauce for a delicious dinner in.  

Not only are these easy to make but there’s also no need for any special equipment, meaning anyone can make these! 

It’s an easy meal to master, yet feels extravagant and sure to wow anyone who enjoys it. 

What is Ricotta Cheese?

Ricotta cheese is a byproduct of cheese making. Milk is heated and separated into two products, curds and whey. The separated curds are pressed to form cheese, such as mozzarella. The liquid left behind is the whey, which is then reheated to make ricotta cheese and translates to “cooked again” or “reheated.” 

Ricotta cheese has a gentle, slightly sweet flavor with a smooth, creamy texture that’s a bit rough from the curds. It’s generally packaged with some liquid and is made easier to use when it’s had a chance to drain. Look for the freshest ricotta cheese for the best flavor.

What is Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi?

Ricotta gnocchi is a small Italian dumpling that combines creamy cheese with egg and a little flour to act as the binder holding it all together. Different regions have variations that include semolina flour, bread crumbs, potato, or corn meal. 

Ricotta Gnocchi vs Potato Gnocchi

If you love potato gnocchi, then let me introduce you to the simpler, easy-to-make version…ricotta gnocchi! With the same great flavors that we have all come to love with potato gnocchi, but with a fraction of the effort and ready within minutes. 

Traditional potato gnocchi is made with mashed or riced potatoes. This requires time and effort to boil the potatoes, and rice or mash them, and then wait long enough for them to cool. With ricotta gnocchi, there’s no need for these extra steps. You simply add all of the ingredients to a bowl, mix, shape, and cook. It’s ready to eat within minutes.

Equipment to Make Ricotta Gnocchi

• Cheese cloth or paper towels – Use to drain excess liquid from the ricotta cheese.
• Bench scraper or sharp knife – Comes in handy to divide the dough ball as well as cutting the ropes into bite size pieces.
• Gnocchi board or table fork – I use the back of a table fork to shape the gnocchi, although gnocchi boards are inexpensive and a great tool to have if you plan to make gnocchi often.
• Baking sheet or counter – Gently dust a large (12 X 17) baking sheet with flour and place the cut gnocchi pieces on it. Makes transporting to the stove to cook easier or place into the freezer to freeze the pieces.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi Ingredients

• Ricotta cheese – Use whole milk ricotta for the best flavor and texture. 
• Eggs –  Binds all of the ingredients and enriches the dough. 
• Flour – Unbleached flour with the egg helps to bind it all together.
• Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated or store bought grated cheese.
• Salt – You need just a touch to help to round out the flavor. 

How to Make Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

One Hour to One Day Ahead of Time

This is a good step to do a few hours or even the day before you plan to make gnocchi. Drain the ricotta cheese by spooning about 2 ½ cups into a fine mesh strainer that’s lined with a few layers of cheesecloth with the ends tied together. Place a bowl underneath to catch the liquid as it drains. 

If you find you don’t have the time to let the ricotta drain you can press the ricotta between layers of paper towels or cheesecloth to extract any excess moisture. 

After draining, you should have about 2 cups of ricotta cheese. The texture will be firm and dry, not moist. Wet ricotta will make for a gummy gnocchi, which isn’t what you want. 

Making the Dough

Combine drained ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and eggs in a large bowl until just mixed. 

Add the all-purpose flour and mix until the dough has just come together. Be careful to not over work your dough. 

Turn the gnocchi dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little bit of flour shape into a round ball. The soft dough should feel pliable and slightly damp, but not sticky. 

Prep a cookie sheet by sprinkling it with a little bit of flour. This is where you will place the cut gnocchi. 

Shaping the Gnocchi

Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion into long ropes roughly the thickness of your finger. 

Cut the ropes into ¾ to 1-inch pieces using the bench scraper or a sharp knife. You can leave them in this shape and place onto the cookie sheet, this is what I usually do for the sake of time. However, you can shape them by lightly pressing and rolling down a wood gnocchi board to give the gnocchi some texture and is said to help hold some of the sauce. If you don’t have a board, using the back of a fork will give you a similar shape. Place the gnocchi pieces onto the sheet pan as your shape them.

Once you reach this stage, you can cook the gnocchi immediately or freeze the gnocchi.

Cooking the Gnocchi

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. 

To cook the gnocchi, drop the gnocchi into the water in batches to avoid over crowding the pot. They will sink initially, but within a few minutes they will float to the top of the water to signify they are done. Use a slotted spoon to lift the gnocchi out.

Test the first one or two. They will be soft and pillowy with no flour taste. If they still taste like flour, they need a minute longer. 

Serve this homemade gnocchi with a simple tomato sauce, brown butter, and sage sauce, or your favorite sauce. 

My favorite way to enjoy gnocchi is to take it one step further. Lightly coat a pan with a drizzle of good quality olive oil over medium high heat until the pan gets hot. Add a few pieces of gnocchi at a time and fry, flipping after each side is golden brown and lightly crispy.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Can Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi be Frozen?

 This ricotta gnocchi can be made in advance for another day which is just another reason that this recipe is a favorite around here.

 To freeze, place uncooked gnocchi on a baking sheet in a single layer and into the freezer until the dough has hardened. Gnocchi freezes typically within two hours. Once hardened, transfer them to a plastic freezer bag or an air-tight container and place them back in the freezer. To cook remove them from the freezer and drop the frozen gnocchi into boiling water. They will float to the surface of the water when they’re done. 

I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and rate the recipe. Tag photos #Lockremhomestead over on Instagram to share your Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi!