Description
This easy homemade ricotta gnocchi recipe creates soft, pillowy gnocchi with simple ingredients and two delicious sauce options.
Ingredients
Scale
Gnocchi
- 250 g / 8 oz full-fat ricotta (strictly full fat; see Note 1)
- 3/4 cup (75 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese (Note 2)
- 1 large egg (55–60 g / 2 oz)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- Pinch black pepper
- 3/4 to 1 cup flour (all-purpose), plus extra for dusting (Note 3)
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
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Garnish
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Drain the ricotta: If ricotta is wet, place it in a fine mesh strainer for 20–30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Make the dough: In a bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, egg, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Add flour gradually until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the gnocchi: Lightly flour a surface. Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a long rope 3/4 inch thick. Cut into small pillows.
- Cook the gnocchi: Boil salted water. Add gnocchi and cook 1–2 minutes until they float. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Browned butter sauce: Melt butter over medium heat until golden and nutty. Add salt and pepper. Toss gnocchi in browned butter.
- Tomato sauce: Sauté garlic and onion in olive oil. Add tomatoes, herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve over gnocchi.
Notes
Dry ricotta is essential; wet ricotta leads to gummy dough.
Freshly grated parmesan melts better and improves texture.
Add flour only until dough is workable—too much makes gnocchi dense.