Before this recipe, I hadn’t made gnocchi in forever, but I though it would be a fun dish to create for a La Faguette Zoom Cooking Class…and I was right! They’re also wayyy easier to make than you may think. I will now always use ricotta in the dough because the pasta comes out so pillowy and soft. The spinach was fun, too, because it lends a fun color and I love the flavor; and also now they’re healthy.

These gnocchi are also very versatile in that you can serve them with just about any pasta sauce. I love them with the warmth of my SAGE BÉCHAMEL in the cold months, a light tomato sauce in the warm months, and you can serve them with melted butter just about any damn time of the year!

Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

La Faguette

Soft, little pillowy bites of heaven.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• ▢
  cheesecloth
• ▢
  colander

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound spinach, not frozen (I use pre-washed)
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 1½ cups ricotta cheese
• ▢ ¾ cup grated parmesan (the kind that looks like sand)
• ▢ 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• ▢ ½ tsp lemon zest
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more to add gradually
• ▢ garlic salt
• ▢ black pepper
• ▢ red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

• Bring a large, covered pot of well-salted water to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, reduce to a good simmer. Keep lid on so too much water doesn't escape.
• In a large pan over medium-low/medium heat, pour in water and pile in spinach. You will have to smash down the spinach with your hands to fit it all in, and then slam a lid on it.
• Steam just until the spinach starts to become wet and wilted, about 10 mins; you will have to eventually take the lid off and stir to make sure all leaves are like this. Our goal is to have them all absorb water and wilt, but not cook them down!
• Line a colander with cheesecloth and transfer spinach to there. Leave alone and allow spinach to cool down.
• While spinach is cooking/resting, grab a large bow and add ricotta, parmesan, eggs, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
• When spinach is cool enough to handle, wring that motherfucker out until almost no water drips from it. This will legit take a couple minutes, but be gentle enough because the cheesecloth is very fragilé.
• Once wrung out, chop spinach as finely as you can, then add it to ricotta mixture.
• To same bowl, drop in 1 cup of flour. Give it a real good mix and season to taste with garlic salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. At this point, the dough will be very sticky.
• Keep adding flour, about a ¼ cup at a time, and stir (eventually you will have to switch to your hands…make sure they're clean, you filthy animal). Keep doing this until a unified ball of dough is formed; mildly sticky, but nothing crazy.
• We're gonna test a gnocchi now! Roll one into a ball that's a little smaller than a golf ball. Drop it in simmering water. It's going to sink to the bottom, and then start bouncing up and down. Gnocchi are ready when they're at a solid float on top. Using a slotted spoon or mini strainer, scoop it out and allow to cool for 2 minutes (the texture from straight out of the water is extremely different than it is after allowing it to cool, SO LET IT COOL DOWN!). If you're satisfied with seasoning and texture, we're ready to drop these bitches!
• Roll gnocchi into same size balls as test gnocchi, a bit smaller than a golf ball. Continue doing so, placing the finished ones on a baking sheet, until all are rolled out.
• Drop however many gnocchi you need to cook, working in rounds if necessary.
• Scoop them out when they're done and you can rest them in whatever sauce you're heating up to pair with them! In the cooler months I'm obsessed with my SAGE BÉCHAMEL!!!
• Divide them up or serve in one large bowl and let everyone help themselves.
• Enjoy your green little pillows of spinach-ricotta heaven!!!
• Freeze uncooked gnocchi, tips below.

Notes

JUST THE TIPS!

1.) Set up your ‘mis en place.’ This means do what the recipe tells you to do to the individual ingredients, measure them out, and then place them in separate little bowls/dishes/what-have-you. When it’s time to build the recipe, you have everything measured and ready to go. It makes the entire process so much easier and more enjoyable!

Keyword easy ricotta gnocchi, easy spinach gnocchi, gnocchi from scratch, homemade gnocchi from scratch, pillowy gnocchi

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Freezing Gnocchi:

Keep gnocchi spread out on a baking sheet and place directly in freezer for 1 hour. Transfer to whatever you’ll be storing them in and they won’t stick together now! Gnocchi will last up to 6 months frozen. To cook, drop in boiling water and wait til they’re at a steady float on top!

EQUIPMENT:

6 Qt. Pot!
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Mixing Bowl Set!
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Stainless Steel Colander!
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The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I recommend, many of which I love and use daily!