It has been four months since my last pasta blog, which is far too long for me. This one is so simple and truly one of my favorite pasta recipes of all time – ricotta gnocchi.
Ricotta gnocchi is not only easy, but it is extremely versatile. It can hold up to heavy ragus, or shine in simple butter sauces. It is also a perfect pasta for this time of year. While I love classic potato gnocchi, it can be very heavy. Ricotta gnocchi is much lighter, which is great for the warmer months, and it has a freshness from the ricotta that pairs so well with all of the spring and summer produce that’s coming into season.
This recipe uses five ingredients: all-purpose flour, ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese, and salt. The measurements for these will be in the recipe below. I start by adding everything besides the flour into a large mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, I mix all of the ingredients together until fully combined.
Once fully combined, the flour goes in all at once. I stir the mixture with the rubber spatula until it feels too thick to stir anymore. I turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for just one minute or so just to make sure everything is fully combined. It’s important to not overwork this dough. These gnocchi should be tender, overworking will cause them to be tough and gummy.
In this minute of kneading, it’s important to make note of the feeling of the dough. If the dough is too sticky and clinging to your hands, sprinkle more flour little by little until it no longer sticks. The dough shouldn’t be dry and crumbly, but it should not be wet enough to stick to your hands or the surface it is on.
As always with any dough, I let it rest wrapped in plastic wrap for 5 to10 minutes before rolling it out. Regular pasta dough has a lot more gluten which needs much more time to relax. Since this dough isn’t kneaded very much, it only needs a short period of time.
Divide the dough into six even pieces. Take each piece and roll it back and forth with both hands, starting in the middle and pushing outward as you roll back and forth. Roll until you have an even length of dough that is about a half inch thick all the way across. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the gnocchi into 3/4 to 1-inch pieces.
These gnocchi are ready to go at this point, but I prefer to take them one step further and roll them on a gnocchi board. The board rates ridges which makes them more visually appealing, as well as helps sauce cling onto them. Either way, collect them on a floured sheet tray.
These can be cooked right away, but they freeze incredibly well. If you wish to freeze them, place the whole sheet tray in the freezer and wait until the gnocchi are frozen solid. Once they are frozen, they can be transferred to a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and stored for up to one month. Personally, if I am not cooking them the day I make them, I prefer to freeze them to help preserve their shape.
From fresh or frozen, these cook up very quickly. Drop them in salted, boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes if fresh and 3-4 minutes if frozen. They should start to float when they are finished cooking. Drain them and toss with your favorite pasta sauce.
Ricotta Gnocchi
Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese, and salt.
- Mix together with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Add the flour all at once and mix until the dough becomes too thick to stir.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute, until everything is combined.
- If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour until it no longer sticks to your hands.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 5–10 minutes
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch thick.
- Cut each rope into 3/4 to 1-inch pieces using a bench scraper or knife.
- Roll each piece on a gnocchi board.
- Place shaped gnocchi on a floured baking sheet, freeze on tray if not cooking immediately.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- For fresh gnocchi: Cook 2–3 minutes. For frozen gnocchi: Cook 3–4 minutes. Gnocchi are done when they float to the surface.
- Drain and toss with your favorite sauce.
These ricotta gnocchi are a great way to upgrade your next pasta dish, and are perfect for the season, so I hope you give them a go!
If you want to learn more about handmade pasta, join me on for a new version of our hands-on Pasta Boot Camp on Saturday, September 20 at 10am. I know that's a ways off, but the July session is already sold out.
In the meantime, you can check out our hands-on Pasta and Gnocchi Workshop on Tuesday, July 29 at 6pm. And if you want to learn how to make ricotta (and mozzarella) from scratch, don't miss our new hands-on Mozzarella and Ricotta Making on Saturday, July 29 at 11am.
