Easy Ricotta Gnocchi With Broccoli Cream Sauce

Easy homemade ricotta gnocchi served with a delicious broccoli cream and parmesan sauce. You won’t believe how easy it is to make these ricotta dumpling from scratch and how light and delicious they are. This sauce btw...aaaamazing!

Ricotta gnocchi is something you’ve gotta try!

Homemade gnocchi are something I love to make. When done right they are light as can be, soft and pillowy. Serve them with you’re favourite pasta sauce and the whole meal is damn right heavenly!…serious comfort food.

The problem is homemade potato gnocchi can be quite tricky and fiddly to make from scratch. You need to choose the perfect potatoes for the job and even a hint of too much flour and you can kiss goodbye so soft, light gnocchi and say hello to heavy, stodgy little bricks….no thanks!

How To Make Super Light Gnocchi

So how can we make sure our gnocchi is soft and light every time? MAKE ricotta gnocchi!

Oh yes, skip the potatoes and use ricotta instead. Not only is the outcome much easier to control, the whole recipe is SO much easier and quicker.

Tip: The trick to making the best ricotta gnocchi is to use as less flour as possible. Always add the flour a little at a time so you can keep an eye on the texture of the dough.

How To Make Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi – Step By Step

Add all the gnocchi ingredients apart from the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined (photos 1 & 2).

Gradually add the flour while stopping to fold it into the ricotta mixture. Keep doing this until a soft dough forms (photo 3).

Tip: I find the amount of flour needed depends on the creaminess of the ricotta (some can be wetter than others). Keep adding the flour until the dough is soft and easy to handle without sticking to your hands.

Dust a work surface with flour and tip the dough out from the bowl. Shape the ricotta gnocchi dough into a rough rectangle log shape and cut it in half. The dough will be quite sticky at the edges you cut so always dust the knife with flour before cutting and then lightly dust the cut edges (photo 4 & 5).

Divide each half in half again so you have 4 pieces of dough (photo 6). Carefully roll each piece of dough into a long log that’s around 1/2 inch to 1 inch (photo 7).

Cut each rolled out log into gnocchi (small-medium sized) and set them aside on a flour-dusted chopping board or surface.

How To Prepare The Broccoli Cream Sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the thick stalk off the broccoli so you only have florets left. Add them to the boiling water for 1 minute then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside (keep the water boiling).

Finely chop the garlic and fry it in a little olive oil in a large pan. Roughly chop the broccoli into small-medium pieces and add to the garlic.

Fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute then add the cream, nutmeg and salt and pepper. At this point add the gnocchi to the boiling water.

Bring the cream to a boil then add the parmesan. Keep the sauce simmering until it started to thicken then remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce.

Toss to coat in the sauce, season with more salt and pepper and serve.

This recipe is a new favourite of mine the sauce is just to die for and I use it in many different ways. Here are some suggestions plus other recipes you might like;

• Serve the sauce over steak (I normally omit the broccoli and add a little extra parmesan & serve with these fried gnocchi).
• Broccoli rabe ricotta gnudi with parmesan cream
• Veal cutlets with prosciutto and parmesan cream

If you’ve tried this easy homemade gnocchi with broccoli cream sauce or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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5 from 6 votes

Homemade ricotta gnocchi broccoli cream sauce

Easy homemade ricotta gnocchi served with a delicious broccoli cream and parmesan sauce. You won't believe how easy it is to make these ricotta dumpling from scratch and how light and delicious they are.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 -8 people

Calories 557kcal

Author Emily Kemp

Ingredients

For The Ricotta Gnocchi

• 1 3/4 - 2 cups (250g-300g) flour , plus extra for dusting
• 3 large eggs
• 14 oz (400g) ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup (20g) parmesan cheese , grated
• salt and pepper to season

For The Sauce

• 1 small broccoli
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/4 cup (300ml) heavy (double) cream
• 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Add all the gnocchi ingredients apart from the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.
• Gradually add the flour while stopping to fold it into the ricotta mixture. Keep doing this until a soft dough forms. *See notes
• Tip: I find the amount of flour needed depends on the creaminess of the ricotta (some can be wetter than others). Keep adding the flour until the dough is soft and easy to handle without sticking to your hands.
• Dust a work surface with flour and tip the dough out from the bowl. Shape the ricotta gnocchi dough into a rough rectangle log shape and cut it in half. The dough will be quite sticky at the edges you cut so always dust the knife with flour before cutting and then lightly dust the cut edges.
• Divide each half in half again so you have 4 pieces of dough (photo 6). Carefully roll each piece of dough into a long log around 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick.
• Cut each rolled out log into gnocchi (small-medium sized) and set them aside on a flour-dusted chopping board or surface.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the thick stalk off the broccoli so you only have florets left. Add them to the boiling water for 1 minute then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside (keep the water boiling).
• Finely chop the garlic and fry it in a little olive oil in a large pan. Roughly chop the broccoli into small-medium pieces and add to the garlic.
• Fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute then add the cream, nutmeg and salt and pepper. At this point add the gnocchi to the boiling water.
• Bring the cream to a boil then add the parmesan. Keep the sauce simmering until it started to thicken then remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce.
• Toss to coat in the sauce, season with more salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

• The amount of flour will depend on how wet the ricotta is an how large your eggs are. Keep adding a little at a time until a dough forms.
• Always use as less flour as possible and dust your hands to prevent the dough from sticking when rolling.
• I like to sieve the flour into the ricotta so it is totally lump free.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade ricotta gnocchi broccoli cream sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 557 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 33g 51%

Saturated Fat 19g 95%

Cholesterol 191mg 64%

Sodium 277mg 12%

Potassium 510mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 2g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 37.2%

Vitamin C 110.3%

Calcium 34.4%

Iron 18.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Homemade ricotta gnocchi broccoli cream sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 557 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 33g 51%

Saturated Fat 19g 95%

Cholesterol 191mg 64%

Sodium 277mg 12%

Potassium 510mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 2g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 37.2%

Vitamin C 110.3%

Calcium 34.4%

Iron 18.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Helpful Info For All Recipes 

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
• When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use this brand for the best results and flavour
• All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
• All recipes are tested and developed using a fan oven
• Read more about how the nutritional information is calculated here

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