I used to think gnocchi had to be potato-based and fussy. Then a friend in Rome showed me ricotta gnocchi, and my whole weeknight dinner game changed. These little dumplings are soft, light, and ready faster than you'd expect.
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This version skips the potato entirely. Ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and flour come together into a dough you can roll and cut in minutes. Then everything gets tossed in a silky spinach cream sauce that clings to every pillowy bite.
It's the kind of dish that looks fancy but feels like a hug. Serve it with a crisp green salad and a glass of white wine, and you've got a dinner worth repeating. Small steps, big impact.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
2 cups (500g) whole-milk ricotta, drained overnight
Whole-milk ricotta gives the creamiest texture. If yours looks watery, drain it in a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth for a few hours. Part-skim works but the gnocchi will be a bit firmer.
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
The extra yolk adds richness and helps bind the dough. If you're out of eggs, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba can stand in, though the texture will be slightly softer.
1 cup (100g) finely grated Parmesan, divided
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano melts far better than the pre-shredded tub kind. Pecorino Romano is a sharper, saltier swap if you like a bolder flavor.
1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Start with 1 cup and add more only as needed, since ricotta moisture varies. '00' flour makes an even silkier gnocchi if you have it on hand.
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for the water
Fine sea salt dissolves evenly into the dough. Kosher salt works too, just use a slightly heaped teaspoon.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Butter gives the sauce its glossy finish. Olive oil works in a pinch, but you'll lose some of that nutty richness.
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Fresh garlic is the backbone here. Jarred minced garlic is fine on a busy night, use about 1 tablespoon.
5 ounces (140g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
Baby spinach wilts fast and stays tender. Frozen spinach works too, thaw and squeeze out the water first so the sauce doesn't get soupy.
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
Heavy cream makes the sauce lush and stable. For a lighter version, use half-and-half, but simmer gently so it doesn't curdle.
1/2 cup (50g) grated mozzarella or fontina
This melts into the sauce for extra stretch. Skip it for a lighter sauce, or use Gruyère for a nuttier note.
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
A tiny pinch of nutmeg rounds out the cream. Already-ground nutmeg is fine, but fresh is noticeably brighter.
Fresh cracked black pepper and torn basil, to finish
Finish with pepper and basil right before serving so the aromatics stay fresh. Flat-leaf parsley is a great substitute.
Tips & Tricks
Don't over-flour the dough
add flour one tablespoon at a time until it just stops sticking. Too much flour is the number one reason gnocchi turn out dense and chewy.
Keep the water at a gentle boil
a rolling boil can break the gnocchi apart. A steady simmer lets them cook evenly and float up beautifully.
Sauce and gnocchi together
transfer the gnocchi straight from the pot into the sauce with a slotted spoon. The starchy water helps the cream cling to every piece.
Taste before salting
Parmesan and ricotta are both salty, so season the sauce at the end. You'll almost always need less salt than you think.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Drain the ricotta
Set the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and let it drain at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight in the fridge. Removing excess moisture is the secret to gnocchi that hold together without turning into flour bombs.
2. Mix the dough
In a large bowl, combine the drained ricotta, egg, yolk, 3/4 cup Parmesan, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the flour 1/4 cup at a time until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. It should feel like soft playdough, not stiff bread dough.
3. Rest and roll
Cover the dough and chill for 15 minutes, then divide it into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 1-inch pieces and roll each gently over a floured fork for ridges.
4. Boil the gnocchi
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil at 212 F (100 C). Drop in the gnocchi in batches and cook 2 to 3 minutes. They're done when they float to the surface and look puffed, then give them 30 seconds more.
5. Start the sauce
While the gnocchi cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat at 350 F (175 C). Add the garlic and cook 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant and just golden, not brown. Burnt garlic turns the whole sauce bitter.
6. Wilt the spinach
Add the spinach and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until it wilts and turns deep green. Pour in the cream and simmer 3 to 4 minutes at 300 F (150 C) until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
7. Melt in the cheese
Lower the heat and stir in the mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan until smooth and glossy. Season with pepper and taste for salt. The sauce should look silky and gently bubbling at the edges.
8. Toss and serve
Add the drained gnocchi to the skillet with a splash of pasta water and toss gently for 1 minute so every piece is coated. Serve hot topped with basil, extra Parmesan, and cracked pepper.
Delicious Variations
Mushroom and thyme
swap the spinach for 8 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms and add 1 teaspoon fresh thyme.
Tomato basil
replace the cream sauce with a quick garlic tomato sauce and finish with torn basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Browned butter sage
skip the cream entirely, brown the butter with sage leaves, and toss the gnocchi with Parmesan and toasted walnuts.
How to Store Creamy Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi
Refrigerator
Store cooked gnocchi and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep them together so the gnocchi soak up flavor, not dry out.
Freezer
Freeze raw gnocchi on a floured tray for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat at 300 F (150 C) with a splash of cream or water for 5 minutes. Avoid the microwave, which makes them rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make ricotta gnocchi without eggs?
Yes, you can swap the eggs for 3 tablespoons of aquafaba or a flax egg. The gnocchi will be slightly softer, so handle them gently and add a touch more flour if the dough feels wet.
Q: Why did my gnocchi fall apart in the water?
Your dough was likely too wet or under-floured. Drain the ricotta well, add flour a tablespoon at a time, and chill the dough before shaping so it holds together.
Q: How do I know when gnocchi are cooked?
They float to the surface when they're nearly done. Give them about 30 seconds more after floating, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon so they don't overcook.
Q: Can I use potato gnocchi instead of homemade?
Absolutely, use 1 pound of store-bought gnocchi and boil according to the package. The creamy spinach sauce works beautifully with either kind.
Q: Is this dish vegetarian?
Yes, it's fully vegetarian as written. Just check that your Parmesan uses a vegetarian rennet if that matters to you, since traditional Parmigiano does not.
Give this creamy spinach ricotta gnocchi a try this week and let the pillowy texture win you over. If you make it, snap a photo and tell me how it turned out. Small steps, big impact.
Creamy Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi
Creamy Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi is pillowy homemade gnocchi tossed in a garlicky spinach cream sauce for a cozy, meatless dinner.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 cups (500g) whole-milk ricotta, drained overnight
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
- 1 cup (100g) finely grated Parmesan, divided
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for the water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 5 ounces (140g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated mozzarella or fontina
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Fresh cracked black pepper and torn basil, to finish
📋 Instructions
- 1Drain the ricotta — Set the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and let it drain at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight in the fridge. Removing excess moisture is the secret to gnocchi that hold together without turning into flour bombs.
- 2Mix the dough — In a large bowl, combine the drained ricotta, egg, yolk, 3/4 cup Parmesan, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the flour 1/4 cup at a time until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. It should feel like soft playdough, not stiff bread dough.
- 3Rest and roll — Cover the dough and chill for 15 minutes, then divide it into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 1-inch pieces and roll each gently over a floured fork for ridges.
- 4Boil the gnocchi — Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil at 212 F (100 C). Drop in the gnocchi in batches and cook 2 to 3 minutes. They're done when they float to the surface and look puffed, then give them 30 seconds more.
- 5Start the sauce — While the gnocchi cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat at 350 F (175 C). Add the garlic and cook 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant and just golden, not brown. Burnt garlic turns the whole sauce bitter.
- 6Wilt the spinach — Add the spinach and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until it wilts and turns deep green. Pour in the cream and simmer 3 to 4 minutes at 300 F (150 C) until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- 7Melt in the cheese — Lower the heat and stir in the mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan until smooth and glossy. Season with pepper and taste for salt. The sauce should look silky and gently bubbling at the edges.
- 8Toss and serve — Add the drained gnocchi to the skillet with a splash of pasta water and toss gently for 1 minute so every piece is coated. Serve hot topped with basil, extra Parmesan, and cracked pepper.
Maya writes about sustainable living and zero-waste practices, focusing on small, achievable changes for everyday life. She shares practical tips from her own experiments in reducing waste at home and in her community.
