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uncooked ricotta Gnocchi dusted with flour
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Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

Gnocchi are soft, pillowy bites of pasta that feel like little clouds on your plate. In this ricotta gnocchi recipe, we swap potatoes for fresh ricotta cheese and combine it with egg, 00 flour, and pecorino to form a quick, foolproof dough that’s light, cheesy, and full of flavour. The magic really happens when these delicate gnocchi hit the pan and soak up a fragrant sauce made with melted butter, lemon zest, and freshly torn mint leaves. If you’ve ever wondered how to make gnocchi at home, but want a quick version, this is the easiest and most delicious place to start.

Equipment

  • 1 large-sized bowl
  • fork
  • Pastry scraper
  • Rolling pin (or bottle of wine)
  • knife
  • Tray lined with baking sheet
  • Medium-sized frying pan
  • Zester
  • Strainer
  • Large-sized pot
  • wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • 500 g/17.6oz fresh ricotta
  • 300 g/10.5oz 00 flour
  • 1 egg
  • 4 Tbsp Pecorino Romano grated
  • 1 lemon
  • A fresh bunch of mint
  • Butter
  • 1 Tbsp of sea salt

Instructions

How to Make Gnocchi

  • Place the ricotta in a large bowl and use a fork to break it up until it crumbles.
  • Crack the egg on top of the ricotta, then add 4 tbsp of grated pecorino and mix well to combine.
  • Add half of the flour to the bowl gradually and mix until it starts to come together.
  • Lightly flour your countertop, then place the dough on top and start kneading gently using your hands with a forward-and-back motion. Add the rest of the flour and keep kneading until it incorporates well. Use a pastry scraper to collect any leftover dough bits.
  • If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle a little more flour on top, but not too much. Keep working it until it’s silky and moist, but not so sticky that it leaves moisture on your hands.
  • Now its time to stretch the dough. Place your dough ball on top of a lightly floured surface, then gently stretch it with a rolling pin, rotate and stretch again. Keep rotating and stretching until it’s about 1/2 inch thick.
  • Cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide. Arrange the strips on the counter with space between them so they don’t stick, and sprinkle with flour.
  • Sprinkle another dusting of flour on the counter, then take one strip, press gently on the sides, and roll from the middle outwards until you form a long snake coil.
  • Use a pastry scraper to cut the coil into small pillow shapes. Place the cut gnocchi on a tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle lightly with flour so they don’t stick.
  • Repeat steps 8-9 until you have used up all your dough, and place trays= into the freezer.

How to Make the Sauce

  • Place the butter in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat and zest the lemon directly over the pan so the zest falls into the butter.
  • Break the mint leaves using your hands and add them straight into the pan.
  • Cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice, making sure no seeds fall in, then allow the sauce simmer gently for a minute or two before you remove from heat and set aside.

How to Cook the Gnocchi

  • Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 1 tbsp of sea salt. Then gently drop the gnocchi into the salted water - don’t stir them. Once they float to the surface, they’re ready.
  • Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or hand strainer and transfer them straight into the pan with the sauce on low heat.
  • Use a wooden spoon to gently mix until every pillow of gnocchi is coated in the sauce. Turn off the stove.

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