The worlds’ most easy homemade gnocchi – by using ricotta instead of mashed potatoes, you can make gnocchi from scratch in just 30 minutes. The gnocchi is light and fluffy, like mini pillows of ricotta goodness. Toss ricotta gnocchi in a simple browned butter sauce or a tomato sauce – you choose!
EASIEST homemade Gnocchi recipe
Pillowy soft gnocchi is a thing of beauty. And while nowadays, we can get great store bought gnocchi, there is something so satisfying about making it at home.
So what if I told you that you can make homemade gnocchi from scratch in 30 minutes?
Start to finish, including cooking. With no special equipment required and very little mess!
This method I’m sharing today is a ricotta gnocchi. A much easier way to make gnocchi than the traditional mashed potato method, ricotta gnocchi is faster and virtually foolproof.
Anyone can make ricotta gnocchi, even beginner cooks. On the other hand, potato gnocchi is a recipe for capable cooks, requiring a deft hand, a gentle touch and a good feel for dough.
Ricotta gnocchi has both a similar texture and flavour to traditional potato gnocchi!
How to make really easy Homemade Gnocchi
Ricotta is the secret ingredient for this really easy homemade gnocchi. I call ricotta gnocchi “Italian fast food” – because it’s so quick to make!
Here’s what you need:
Ricotta
Parmesan
Flour
Eggs
Salt and pepper
Just mix them together, then use your hands to bring it all together into a soft dough.
Roll into ropes then cut into bite size pieces.
How to cook Gnocchi
Gnocchi is cooked in the same way as pasta – in boiling water. Fresh homemade gnocchi only takes a minute or two. You will know when gnocchi is cooked because they rise to the surface!
Then just drain and toss in your sauce of choice.
Best sauce for gnocchi
The classic sauce for gnocchi is butter sauce. I love butter sauce because it really let’s the flavour of gnocchi come through.
But sometimes, I like my gnocchi to be nice and saucy like pastas. On such days, I make a tomato pasta sauce instead.
Both are lovely, so you choose because both sauce options are provided! 🙂
Making gnocchi ahead of time
Gnocchi freezes brilliantly! Just freeze the uncooked gnocchi, then just cook from frozen. Imagine how smug you will feel if you have a stash of homemade gnocchi in your freezer!
Serve this gnocchi with a fresh garden salad tossed with Balsamic Dressing or Italian Dressing. If you want to go all out, add a side of Garlic Bread! – Nagi x
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Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
Ingredients
Gnocchi
Browned Butter Sauce
- 4 tbsp / 60 g unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)
- Black pepper
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely diced
- 28 oz / 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp mixed dried Italian herbs (or any combination of dried parsley, basil, oregano and thyme)
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Garnish
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Homemade ricotta gnocchi
- Mix – Put all the gnocchi ingredients in a bowl except the flour. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix until combined (smear up the wall if needed, to help cream the ricotta).
- Add flour – Add 3/4 cup of flour and mix until just combined so it is a very sticky dough that will hold its shape in a mound, but is not runny and stir-able like a batter (see video for consistency). Stickier dough = softer gnocchi! Use the remaining flour, 1 tbsp at a time, if needed, but try to stick with 3/4 cup. (Note 3)
- Logs – Sprinkle a work surface with flour then scrape the dough out onto it. Sprinkle the surface lightly with flour then use your hands to bring the dough into a disc about 2.5cm/1" thick. Cut it into 8 wedges.
- Roll and cut – Roll each piece into a log 25cm/10" long, about 1.25cm / 1/2" wide. Cut into 1 1/2 cm / 3/5" pieces (I cut 4 logs at a time).(Can freeze at this point – Note 4)
Cook gnocchi
- Boil – Bring a large pot of water to boil. Tumble the gnocchi in and cook for around 2 1/2 minutes, or until the gnocchi is floating on the surface for around 30 seconds.
- Drain – Reserve 1 mug of cooking water. Then drain and add the gnocchi into the frypan with your sauce of choice (you only need one of them, not both). Follow the instructions below.
Browned Butter Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Let it bubble until it turns brown. Add the salt and pepper. If the gnocchi isn't ready yet, remove from the stove until ready.
- Add gnocchi – Pour the cooked gnocchi into the fry pan along with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Gently stir, coating the gnocchi in the melted butter, cooking for 1 minute. This is the step when the butter and starch in the water emulsify so the sauce coats each piece of gnocchi.
- Do a taste test and add more salt if required. Serve immediately.
Tomato Sauce
- Sauté – Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion. Sauce for 3 to 5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 10 minutes. Do a taste test and adjust saltiness to taste.
- Add the gnocchi and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Cook for 1 minute, stirring gently. The olive oil and starch in the water will emulsify to thicken the sauce so it clings to the gnocchi better.
To Serve
- Serve immediately as the gnocchi will start to harden after about 15 minutes as it cools. You can reheat in the microwave to soften.
- Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
Nutrition assuming 3 servings with Browned Butter Sauce (left) and Tomato Sauce (right).
Gnocchi Lovers!
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I love gnocchi and have had my share of failures to, I’m always looking for different gnocchi recipes and this looks great I will definitely be trying this and will let you know how it goes. Did you know that packets of grated cheeses contain aluminum? Thanks for sharing.
Woah – WHAT?? Ew!
Made these last night, actually my 12 year old made the gnocchi while I made the red sauce. Super easy!. We will add more salt to the gnocchi next time, and make sure not to stack them after cutting (they stuck together a bit.) Added sautéed zucchini and mushrooms to the red sauce. Yum! For us, this would serve about 5-6 people. We WILL be making them again, SO much better than store bought! Thanks for the recipe!
NO! 12 yo made gnocchi! OK, when is he/she going to be on Junior Masterchef??
I put the dough into a pastry bag and piped them into a pot ( of boiling water)with a string tied across the handles. I was able to cut them evenly and they were fantastic. I love gnocchi and have made potato many times by hand. These took 30 min. and I will make them again! TY
YAY YAY!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Elizabeth! I actually just took a frozen box of these to a friends’ place!
Hi Nagi!
After trying your ricotta and spinach rotolo a few weeks ago (has it really be that long?! I need to make them again!) I went through your blog and printed out a whole bunch of recipes. Including this one. There’s only one thing that wasn’t right: Doesn’t serve three. At least not in my family! They were amazing. Seriously, just perfect. And easy to make after a long and exhausting day at work (working in customer services tends to be that way…). They were just perfect.
Best regards from Germany,
Charlotte
P.S.: They have broccoli on sale this week…so I guess I’ll try a bit more of your stuff this week 😉
Hi Charlotte! All the way from Germany – I love that we can connect! I spent some time in Austria a few years ago and made friends with a couple holidaying from Germany. 🙂 It constantly amazes me how so many Europeans are fluent in English too – obviously yours is perfect. I think it’s such an admirable skill.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! These are a bit of a personal favourite, I was blown away by how easy they were. I can’t believe you made these on a midweek night after working all day! I mean, they are easy….but not even I would do that! (PS Did I mention in the recipe they freeze really well? Raw. Then pop them into the boiling water from frozen!).
Thank you for your wonderful message Charlotte! Hope you have a great week! N x
Hi Naig,
well, my parents would be mad if my English wasn’t great, since I have spent two years in Canada to finish school. They paid for it (and I’ll be eternally grateful for that!). In addition I just love languages and I’d love to be fluent in more than two. I know a bit of French and Spanish, but well…that’s mostly enough to say my name and that I don’t speak the language 🙂
I just love cooking. And since I use it to relax, I really enjoy cooking after a long day at work (well…if it’s too long I just end up cooking pasta or whine until my roommate makes something…). It just very calming.
I’m probably going to make a big batch of the gnocchi on a weekend or something and freeze them then. I usually do that with the perogies I make, since the recipe makes sooooo many that I have lots left over.
Thanks for the compliment on my language skills and I hope you are having a great week!
Charlotte
These sound delicious going to try these tonight with baked cauliflower and chorizo.
Addicted to My Kitchen Rules Australia. So much so that when I went on holiday – 9 weeks touring France and Spain, that I set my Sky box to record them. Only trouble was when I got back, 66 episodes to watch but in the process they had over recorded all the previous programmes I had saved. Oh well sure to pick up some good tips.
Ha ha ha!! I had to laugh – sorry – the same happened to me with masterchef!!! I do hope you enjoy them! <3
You are a girl so after my own heart Nagi!! ANd these ricotta gnocchi look fabulous! I can make out how soft and pilowy they must be from the dough itself. I did attempt the potato gnocchi once..but they weren’t even worth putting up on my blog.. and the time they took!! Dear God.. Too much after a long day’s work. This on the otherhand looks and sounds like a perfect mid week dinner!! Can i use cottage cheese by any chance in place of ricotta or am I bonkers here?? As for the cooking shows.. Masterchef AU is ADDICTIVE !! even my 3 yr old knows not to bug mommy durin that 1 hr .. oh.. and did you ever watch Top Chef?? I used to enjoy that too! Pinning of course!!
I know right?? Potato gnocchi is HARD!! 🙂
Just finished eating this delightful meal. It was SO good! I’ve never had gnocchi before…they were like little pillows of wonderfulness. And the homemade tomato sauce was so awesome – I’ve never found one that worked for me. I’ll be using this as my standard sauce for pasta going forward.
So easy, and fun, to make. Looking forward to wowing company with it!
I’m so glad you loved this!!! Little pillows of wonderfulness is bang on… 🙂 Thank you for coming back to let me know you loved it!! <3
I love gnocchi but I usually buy it rather than making it as I hate all the potato preparation. So this easy ricotta version is something I have to try. Genius!
Thanks Thalia! <3
Oh these sound delicious! I am just beginning to make my own cheeses and ricotta is something that can be made from the whey of every batch of another cheese… so I think I will have enough to make delicious “other stuff”. I’ve never attempted gnocchi because they always looked really complicated, but now I shall give them a try. I am also a food-show junkie and have been fascinated with the various “MasterChef” shows and how different they each are. But the one I really enjoyed the most was the MC Junior show. The kids were always so real… well, except one or two who had watched far too many US “reality” shows. LOL That and “The F Word”. I learned a lot from that show! Anyway, thanks for this wonderfully interesting recipe. I’ll try to remember to come back and let you know how mine turn out after I make some ricotta. 🙂
Oh I love the F word!!! I can’t help it 🙂 Gordon Ramsay is so talented, I love all his recipes I have ever tried. I love that you make your own cheeses, how fantastic! I dream of moving to the country one day and being (almost) fully self sufficient. 🙂 (I say almost because…well…meat…you know!)
Nagi…. your gnocchi photos have got me pinning this recipe! Although I’m not a big fan of gnocchi, Juan (my bf) is! I think I might try this ricotta gnocchi with gluten-free flour since he’s Celiac, and also because making mashed potatoes just takes up so much more time!!
i remember making gnocchi from scratch and took me hours on end, i am definitely trying this one out!
Yes, do! It’s amazing!
Nagi,
I can relate so well to the shouting at the contestants on TV:)
The gnocchi looks amazing- soft and fluffy and droolicious!
Ha! Glad to hear it, I don’t feel so much like a mad foodie now!! I’m glad you like the look of this chicken 😉
How fantastic, Nagi! I’m delighted by this recipe and cannot wait to try it. 🙂
Hope you do Krista! 🙂
I get so mad at those contestants and frequently shout at the TV:-) But this gnocchi is a totally different reason for shouting that is shouting for joy!
Rachel, I just had a vision of you and I on the couch, yelling at the TV like blokes do with rugby…..we would bring down the house!!!
These little pillows of wonderfulness look like such a treat! 30 minutes, wow now I must try this. I sometimes watch Asian Food Network (that is what we get over here) but it does not grab my attention like some of the discovery channels that host chefs traveling and eating with the locals in the area-love food and culture combo. You know I am the same way I make dishes at least 3 times, sometimes even more before posting it, however, it is a really good thing as so many thing you can freeze and enjoy on another day. I know my boys will love this recipe!
Asian Food Network? I would have thought the food would be INCREDIBLE!!! (Not sure would recommend you making this for your boys, you’ll have to make a quadruple batch just to serve one of them. Too labor intensive! Opt for food you can make multiple batches of with little extra effort!) 😉
Love how these are freezer friendly and can’t wait to try both sauces! My mouth won’t stop watering!!!
I know, right?? Nuts! Who knew??
OMGOMGOMGOMG. I love gnocchi! Though I usually buy it fresh from the pasta bakery and have yet to make it from scratch. I am so making this soon!
You must!! It is so crazy easy!
I just recently got this recipe, tried it, and LOVED IT!. Thanks for bringing us gnocchi without all the carbs! This much I cn handle.
Woah! That was fast! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, isn’t it incredible? I’m obsessed with these! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know you loved it!!
One Word……YUM
I like that word…. 😉
Ok first of all, your description of yelling at food contestants on TV had me cracking up! And second, holy cow, ricotta gnocchi! I have never had nor heard of using ricotta en lieu of potatoes but it sounds like it would be totally amazing!!! I cannot wait to try this, this is pure genius! I love gnocchi – when it turn out well, they’re little cloud-like pillows. But when it doesn’t work out, they’re like little hockey pucks! I have made the same recipe for years, and like you said, it’s about a 75% chance they’ll turn out well. I like the odds of your ricotta gnocchi much better!
I know, right?? Seriously, the first time I made potato gnocchi, half the batch turned out black because I was so slow, the potato became discoloured.
And you know perfectly well if we were on the couch together, you’d be screaming at the contestants as much as I do!! 😉
Girl…. you know I would 😉 xoxo