Ricotta gnocchi is the easy way to make homemade gnocchi from scratch! They take 20 minutes from start to finish, and are just like potato gnocchi – soft, plump pillows ready to be tossed in your sauce of choice. Today – a creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect match!
Ricotta gnocchi – the easy way to make gnocchi
This is not the first time I’ve shared a ricotta gnocchi recipe (see here and here), and it will not be the last. I’m a big fan because it’s a much simpler and faster to make than the more well known potato gnocchi which requires accuracy to ensure they don’t end up dense and doughy. Plus, I like that ricotta gnocchi are lighter and fluffier than potato gnocchi, so it doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down.
And yes, ricotta gnocchi is legit Italian! As with many traditional foods around the world, there are various ways to make gnocchi in Italy, ricotta gnocchi being one variety. 🙂
Delving into the difference a little more – Essentially, potato gnocchi is made with mashed potato, flour and egg. Ricotta gnocchi simply switches the potato with ricotta, and in this recipe some parmesan is added for extra flavour. I find that they actually taste quite similar, because truthfully, potato gnocchi doesn’t taste much like potato once tossed with the sauce. And likewise, with ricotta being a neutral flavoured cheese, you can’t taste it much in ricotta gnocchi.
But the big difference is texture and speed of making. Ricotta gnocchi is, as mentioned above, softer and lighter than potato gnocchi. And as for making time – 20 minutes vs 1 hour minimum!
PS Just to be clear, this recipe is not dissing potato gnocchi. I adore them. But I can’t remember the last time I made them. Whereas ricotta gnocchi is a regular!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce.
For the ricotta gnocchi
Ricotta – Use regular ricotta that is kind of lumpy when you scoop it up (see video). Not the creamy, smooth spreadable type of ricotta (usually labelled “spreadable ricotta” 0r similar.) That is too wet and loose, which will make the dough too sticky.
Paesanella, which is widely available in NSW, is my favourite mainstream brand. In Victoria, look for That’s Amore.
Got the wrong ricotta? – If you got the spreadable smooth type accidentally, you’ll need around 450g/15 oz and will need to extract excess liquid by placing it in a paper towel lined colander for an hour, or even overnight. Then measure out 250g/8 oz and proceed with the recipe.
Flour – just plain / all-purpose flour. Not self raising flour, it will make the ricotta puff up and it will sort of disintegrate (yep, tried it!).
Parmesan – This adds flavour as well as adding a bit of structure to the dough. Without, the dough is a little too fragile and the gnocchi more susceptible to falling apart if the dough consistency is not perfect. Think of it as cheese glue that is holding the gnocchi together!
Egg + egg yolk – For a little richness and also to hold the gnocchi together.
Creamy mushroom sauce
Here’s what you need for this lovely creamy mushroom sauce infused with subtle thyme flavour.
Mushrooms – Just regular white mushrooms, or Swiss Brown/cremini if you prefer.
Cream – Thickened cream / heavy cream is, as the name suggests, thicker! So the sauce will thicken faster. But it’s fine to use regular pouring or whipping cream here as the starch in the gnocchi will thicken the sauce quickly once you start tossing them together.
White wine – I almost always deglaze my pan using wine for sauces. Deglazing simply means using a liquid to dissolve gold bits stuck on the base of the pan from sautéing things (mushrooms and onion in this case) into the liquid because it’s free flavour. You could use water or stock, but wine adds more flavour into the sauce. We cook out the alcohol so it doesn’t taste winey at all.
Type of wine – Chardonnay is my default white wine these days, for the best flavour and best all-rounder for cooking. But any dry white wine will work fine here. Just avoid anything too sweet. Also, feel free to skip the wine if you can’t consume alcohol. The sauce will still be delicious!
Chicken stock / broth – The liquid for the sauce. Feel free to use vegetable stock instead, if you want to keep it vegetarian. I always use low-sodium so I can control the level of salt in dishes. If you only have full salt stock, reduce the amount of salt listed in the ingredients (start with half then add more at the end if desired).
Thyme sprigs – Using fresh thyme sprigs infuses the sauce with better thyme flavour, but you can substitute with dried thyme leaves.
Butter – For cooking the onion and mushrooms. Feel free to substitute with olive oil (but butter makes it tastier!).
Onion and garlic – Adds extra flavour into the sauce. You could skip the onion, but really recommend not skipping the garlic! (PS You can use eschallots/French onions – called shallots in the States – instead of onion).
How to make ricotta gnocchi
The trick to making ricotta gnocchi so it’s really light and soft inside is to use the minimum amount of flour you can get away with. Stickier dough = lighter gnocchi! However ricotta gnocchi is much more forgiving than potato gnocchi so even if you add more flour than ideal, they will still be lovely and soft inside. I have tested 1 1/4 cups of flour (recipe calls for 3/4 cup up to 1 cup), and it was still great!
1. HOW TO MAKE RICOTTA GNOCCHI
Mix the ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper until combined. use a wooden spoon or firm-ish rubber spatula. Smear the ricotta up the side of the bowl if needed, to help cream it. Then add 3/4 cup of flour to begin with and mix.
Shaggy dough – It should be a lumpy, sticky dough, like pictured above (video is very helpful too). If needed (because the wetness of ricotta can vary), add a bit more flour 1 tablespoon at a time but don’t exceed 1 cup (ie 4 extra tablespoons).
The dough will be too sticky to knead. But because of the way the gnocchi is rolled and cut, it can be very sticky on the inside, we just use flour on the outside to make it manageable. (See next steps)
Disc – Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface then give it a light knead to bring it together into a ball and pat it into a disc.
Cut it into 8 equal wedges. (I swear, this is the part I find hardest in this whole recipe. My wedges are always very uneven, result in ropes of varying lengths as you will in the video!)
Roll the logs into 25 cm / 10″ lengths that are 1.25cm / 1/2″ thick.
Cut into little 1.5cm / 3/5″ pieces (I cut 4 logs at a time use a sharp dough scraper). And that’s the gnocchi, done!
Scrape them onto a tray and dust very lightly with flour as needed to keep them from sticking on the tray and to each other. They can stay on the tray while you make the mushroom sauce, they won’t dry out in that time. But cover with cling wrap if you intend to faff around for a while. And if you’re making them to cook later that day, refrigerate them.
Freezing gnocchi – At this point, they can also be frozen. Freeze in single layers (you can use baking paper to separate layers). Then tumble into an airtight container and freeze until required. Cook from frozen, it will just take an extra minute or so. And they come out just like freshly made. How handy is that!
Next, let’s get onto cooking them! Mushroom sauce first.
2. MAKE THE Creamy mushroom sauce
Heads up: the sauce will seem a little thin. But once you add the gnocchi it will thicken quickly from the starch in the gnocchi. So have faith!
Cook the onion and garlic first with the thyme sprigs. Then cook the mushrooms until they soften. It will take a good 5 minutes, and will go from being hard (raw) to watery, then by the time the water evaporates the mushrooms should be softened.
Deglaze the pan with the wine (see under the ingredients section for more information about this step). Simmer rapidly for 2 minutes or until the wine is mostly evaporated. This will cook out most of the alcohol and all the winey flavour.
Simmer – Add the stock and cream, then simmer gently for 5 minutes on a medium low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly and darker in colour.
After simmering – This is what it looks like after it has been simmered for 5 minutes. As noted above, don’t worry if it seems thin, it will thicken once we add the gnocchi!
3. HOW TO COOK GNOCCHI AND TOSS WITH THE SAUCE
Tip: Boil the gnocchi in a pot next to the mushroom sauce so you can scoop it out of the water and straight into the sauce.
Boil gnocchi – Bring a large pot of water to the boil with a couple of teaspoons of salt. Then tumble the gnocchi in.
How to tell the gnocchi is cooked (~2 1/2 minutes) – The gnocchi will float to the surface when it’s cooked, then give it another 30 seconds to cook it through before scooping it out. This should take about 2 1/2 minutes, give or take 30 seconds (eg larger pot and stronger stove = will cook faster).
Transfer the gnocchi straight into the sauce, excess water drips and all!
Scoop the gnocchi out using a spider or a slotted spoon. Keep the pot of cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce.
Gently toss the gnocchi in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes on a medium low stove. In this step the starch from the flour in the gnocchi will release into the sauce and make it thicken, so it coats the gnocchi rather than pooling in the base of the pan.
Proof of thickened sauce coating gnocchi – voila! And we are done. Serve it up immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan!
Important: serve it straight away!
Like all pasta, gnocchi is at its best the moment it is cooked. Every minute it is sitting around, the quality erodes. Harsh but true fact. Hot, freshly cooked gnocchi is soft and pillowy and the sauce is creamy and slick. As they cool, they become firmer and chewier and the sauce thickens and firms up. It can be resurrected to a degree in the microwave, but it’s never like when freshly made!
The lesson here is to ensure that the lucky recipients of your gorgeous little plump gnocchi are seated at the table, napkins tucked under their chins, spoons in hand, ready to dig into the gnocchi the moment you place the bowl in front of them. I know they were relatively low effort to make. But we should still do what we can to ensure they are enjoyed at their absolutely prime so you will be lavished with maximum praise, you Gnocchi Goddess, you! (or God) – Nagi x
ADD THESE TO COMPLETE YOUR MEAL!
Watch how to make it
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Easy Ricotta Gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce
Ingredients
Gnocchi
Creamy mushroom sauce
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1/2 onion or 1 eschallot (US: shallot), finely chopped
- 2 thyme sprigs (sub 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
- 250g / 8oz white mushrooms , sliced in 5mm / 0.2" slices
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (skip for non alcoholic)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 2/3 cup thickened / heavy cream (or pure cream)
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 like a muffin 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. You can always add more flour in the next step. (Note 3)
- Form disc – Sprinkle a work surface with flour then scrape the dough out onto it. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour then use your hands to give the dough a light knead to bring it into a ball then pat it into a disc about 2.5cm/1" thick. Cut it into 8 wedges, using a knife or dough scraper dusted with flour as needed between each cut
- Roll and cut – Roll each piece into a log 25cm/10" long, about 1.25cm / 1/2" wide. Cut into 1.5 cm / 3/5" pieces (Can freeze at this point – Note 4)
Creamy mushroom sauce
- Cook mushrooms – Melt the butter in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme sprigs. Cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the mushrooms is softened.
- Sauce – Add the wine and simmer rapidly for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to scrape the base of the pan, until mostly evaporated. Add the stock/broth and cream, then stir.
- Simmer – Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 5 minutes until thickened. (It's ok if it seems a bit thin, the starch from gnocchi will thicken it quickly, have faith!).
Cook gnocchi & sauce it
- Cook gnocchi – Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 2 teaspoons of salt. 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, no longer (else they overcook!)
- Sauce it – Use a spider or large slotted spoon to scoop the gnocchi out of the water and straight into the sauce (excess water drips in the sauce are good!). Turn the heat up to medium and toss gently for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens and coats the gnocchi. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water.
- Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More sauces for ricotta gnocchi
Use the sauces from these recipes in place of the creamy mushroom sauce in this recipe!
Life of Dozer
Four faces of Dozer:
Disbelief – waited the whole shoot and no food came his way.
2. Blinded – How dare the sun be so glowy and warm?
3. Help – This woman won’t let me go.
4. Happy.
Photos like this make me smile so much. There was a time just a couple of months ago I never thought I’d see him like this again! Admittedly, it is only short bursts of energy. But it’s a massive improvement! I am so, so grateful and feel so fortunate that I have more time with him. Every day is precious. ❤️
I love potato gnocchi, but like you said it is time consuming so it infrequently gets made. I have never heard of ricotta gnocchi before this – you have my full attention and I read every word of this post!
Question: As someone with a dairy allergy, what do you think about using a tofu-ricotta substitute?
While I LOVE your recipes I must also admit to reading about Dozer first – before jumping back to your latest great concoction!
The gnocchi sounds delicious and will be made soon. So happy to see Dozer enjoying life again. We dog lovers cherish these reprieves. My 15 year old Sussex Spaniel is hanging on, enjoys her belly rubs, and tolerates her two young “siblings”.
Two questions:
1. In the US, I don’t know of any ricotta labeled “spreadable” so would I be correct in assuming the full fat Ricotta in the tub is the one I need?
2. If I made these with 1:1 Gluten-free flour for friends who are GF, would they turn out okay?
Hey Rene, Nagi says NOT to use spreadable ricotta, but the lumpy kind. Re-read her instructions under the list/description of each ingredients.
I did read her instructions, thus my question.
I agree, Living in Boston MA, I haven’t seen any ricotta labelled spreadable. I do know (as a chef with celiac disease) I have tried leaving Belgioiso ricotta to drain and I don’t get any liquid.
Thank you so much for that information, Oonagh. If in doubt, I’ll attempt to drain the Ricotta in cheesecloth to ensure there’s no liquid.
I love gnocchi,so I’ll be trying this one soon! But since I need to double any recipes I cook, sometimes I opt for easier sauces / toppings. One I really like with gnocchi is butter and… You won’t believe it, cinnamon! It’s just a light dusting, and I only use real cinnamon, which is more fragrant, never bakers cinnamon (cassia) which is somewhat spicy.
When I was little, as a topping for potato gnocchi, we’d have breadcrumbs fried in butter with a bit of sugar abd cinnamon added. Yum.
So we weren’t the only ones having our gnocchi with cinnamon!! I’ve received interesting looks before for sharing about it…
Have a very blessed week ahead regards Robyn
Gnocchi is my preferred pasta but when you add mushrooms, wow!
But I must admit that before reading the recipe, I quickly scroll down for Dozer update. Glad he is doing so better! Love the pics
After numerous attempts at making Potato Gnocchi, I am so pleased you have published this recipe. The result was delectable, both the Gnocchi and the Mushroom sauce. Thank you Nagi, another winning recipe!
I, like others, come for the recipes, and this is definitely going on my “must try” list, but also hearing about Dozer and seeing new pics. These are great! He’s so stinkin’ cute!! I’m so glad he’s feeling better and mostly back to his old self. We all love him as much as you do!
I will make this. It appeals to me that the uncooked gnocchi can be frozen. Can you publish a recipe for Roman gnochi made with semolina (cooked then cut into rounds and baked , sprinkled with cheese and served with a meat or tomato sauce. I have lost my favourite recipe.
Those pics of Dozer are gorgeous! He looks so happy ♥
And I’ll try your version of these gnocchi. I love gnocchi, and Sunday is the perfect day to enjoy them 😀
Hi Nagi. My 15 yo springer spaniel passed away 12 months ago due to the same affliction Dozer has. He couldn’t be helped.
Dogs are the best things on earth!
Cherish every moment.
😭😭😭 I’m so sorry to hear that Leigh. Did he have the tie back surgery? I’m so glad you got 15 years with him. You are so, so lucky. – N x
Hi Nagi, we have just received our half lamb and I want to do your slow cooked leg.
Is there any substitute for the garlic🧐 I know it’s a big ask and we love garlic but Ive to stay off it because of stomach problems. Thanks
Hi Jane,
There are two choices that you can use for salt. 1; freefod 2; asafoetida which sort of taste like salt, look them up. Check with your doctor in case you got I.B.S.Regards Erika
Sorry Erica it wasn’t this recipe above but the slow cooked leg of lamb where you need a whole head of garlic.
I shoul have put a comment on that recipe eh!
Hi Erica, thanks for the reply but it was the Garlic I was hoping for a substitute for not salt
Hi Jane,
the Hare Krishnas use asafoetida in their dishes in place of onions and garlic. You can find it at Indian grocers. It’s also known as Hing. It’s very strong and you only need a little.
Fantastic photos of a beautiful dog!!!!
Hi Nagi, can’t wait for your new cookbook to come out in October. Will buy it for me, for my husband’s birthday.
Could this be reheated? Wanting to make it and take for lunch with my mum, since my step dad passed away last weekend. Would it be best to cook the sauce, then make gnocchi and cook when I get there? Or cook it all and reheat in microwave?
Hey Nagi, never heard of ricotta gnocchi before, sounds amazing, I can’t see the other sauce recipes you mention, I’m not a massive fan of mushrooms but wonder what else you would suggest saucing them up with please ?
It’s not the recipies that I wait for its the news and pics of Dozer.
Could I use gluten free flour?
Hi Jenny! Unfortunately I haven’t tested it with GF flour but instinct tells me it might be a little firmer than ideal. I’ll give it a go if I get a chance and then I’ll come back and update the recipe! N x
Thanks Nagi, I also had question about using GF flour. Teresa
Thanks Nagi, this was going to be my question as well
I love potato all kinds but I’m not a fan of potato gnocchi as I find it stodgy and gluey. This recipe sounds light and fluffy and will give it a go. Love your recipes and on the menu tonight is your cauliflower cheese! Please give Dozer a huge hug and so happy that he is improving
Hi Sue! To be honest, really great potato gnocchi made well isn’t stodgy and gluey, but ricotta gnocchi is still lighter than even the best potato gnocchi 🙂 Huge hug passed on and happily received! N x
Nagi and Dozer, This sounds like just what we need to make with the fresh garden herbs. Thanks for all that you are doing and keep up the good work.
Dozer, Our fur babies Ruby, Opal and Miney enjoy knowing there are other critters out there keeping tabs on their hoomans. Give your mom more smiles they look good on you.
From Louisiana with ❤️
I bet your fur babies are spoilt rotten – as they should be! Give them a giant hug from me 🙂 N x
These are lovely, Nagi, and so easy for a quick and delicious dinner. You can also fry the (uncooked) gnocchi straight from the freezer in a bit of oil or butter and these are a yummy variation to the boiled version.
How have I not tried that before?? I do that with store bought. Thanks for the tip!!! N x