3-Ingredient Ricotta Gnocchi (No Potato!)
If homemade gnocchi feels daunting, this delicious ricotta version will definitely change your mind! Using just three ingredients, you can create soft, fluffy gnocchi that's so much better than store-bought. Best of all, it's incredibly easy to make in as little as 10 minutes - almost foolproof!
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour plus plenty extra for rolling
- ½ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Let the ricotta stand for a minimum of 10 minutes, then carefully drain off any excess liquid. Then put the ricotta, flour and parmesan in a large mixing bowl and quickly knead everything together to form a soft, sticky dough.2 cups ricotta cheese, ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Flour a clean work surface really well. Scrape the sticky dough onto the surface. Flour your hands and sprinkle the dough with more flour, if necessary - just enough to gather/pat the dough into a fat log. Cut the dough into 4 to 6 pieces.
- Gently roll and pat out each piece into a long sausage shape, around 2 cm thick.
- Using a small sharp knife, cut the dough into equal sized shapes around 3 cm long. Cut straight or at a slight angle, as you prefer.
- Either cook immediately as described below, or freeze for later (see instructions in notes section also below).
Cooking the Gnocchi
- Boil: Gently drop the gnocchi into salted boiling water. Once they float to the surface (about 2-3 minutes, or slightly longer if cooking from frozen), they're done. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.
- Pan-fry: For lightly crispy gnocchi, pan-fry them in olive oil or butter for 2-3 minutes on each side. Let one side brown before carefully flipping to avoid breaking.
- Bake: Bake on a baking sheet for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden and lightly crisp with vegetables and/or meat (see notes for recipe idea). I don't recommend baking in sauce.
Notes
Flour: A reminder to only add just enough flour to bring the dough together. Using too much flour will result in heavier, floury gnocchi.
Cooking the gnocchi: Cook immediately after making for best results. Don't store in the fridge (but you can freeze - see below).
Serving ideas: Try on this sheet pan sausage and pepper gnocchi dinner (amazing!), toss with homemade Italian marinara sauce, or scatter over tomato soup.
Alternatively, keep things simple by gently tossing through a simple store bought sauce such as pesto, or drizzle with olive oil and parmesan and serve as a side dish.
Freezing instructions: After shaping the gnocchi, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for at least 1-2 hours. Then transfer them to a freezer safe container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to about 2 months. They can also be cooked straight out of the freezer, although you might need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 649IU | Calcium: 408mg | Iron: 2mg
