Easy Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

This ricotta gnocchi is the lighter cousin of traditional potato gnocchi. They cook up as perfect, airy dumplings and when paired with the sage brown butter sauce and a few spirals of butternut squash they become the perfect date night meal! 

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When you think of gnocchi, most people think of little potato dumplings but ricotta gnocchi is a traditional Florentine pasta, the lighter cousin of that traditional potato gnocchi. This gnocchi has a soft, mild flavor and makes a great base for just about any sauce. 

I first heard about ricotta gnocchi when taking a class from a local cooking school in Chicago called The Chopping Block. I loved how easy they were to make and they are a bit less finicky than traditional potato gnocchi, making them easy to make a home. That said, they do still occasionally fall apart when they hit the boiling water so it's best to test one before cooking the entire batch to ensure you have the right consistency for the dough.

Contents:

• Recipe Highlights
• Key Ingredients
• How to make ricotta gnocchi
• Tips for making browned butter
• Freezing instructions
• Tools you'll want for this recipe
• Serving suggestions
• More date night recipes
• Easy Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Recipe Highlights

• This recipe is ideal for date night or any somewhat special occasion.
• You can freeze the gnocchi prior to cooking to cut down on the prep time later.
• This gnocchi is really easy to make. You simply open up some ricotta, add eggs, some flour, and a bit of parmesan and you're just about ready to go!

Key Ingredients

The full ingredients list & measurements are provided in the recipe card below.

• Part-skim ricotta: You'll need a tub of ricotta. Part-skim is best but you can substitite whole milk ricotta.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is the best option for this recipe.
• Butternut squash: Since this is kind of a special occasion meal, I like to use squash spirals. I generally purchase pre-packaged butternut squash spirals, however, you can also make your own with a spiralizer.
• Butter: High quality, unsalted butter is the best option for this recipe.
• Sage: Fresh sage leaves are a must for this recipe as they get nice and crispy when you add them to the butter, giving the dish a bit of crunch and a pop of flavor.
• Spices: nutmeg, sea salt, ground pepper
• Pantry staples: All-purpose flour, eggs, olive oil, butter

How to make ricotta gnocchi

This recipe has a couple of steps, but if you tackle them one at a time it's relatively easy to put them all together for one fabulous dish!

Make the dough. Mix the ricotta, flour, egg and parmesan in a large mixing bowl until a thick dough forms.

Make the gnocchi. You'll divide the dough into two parts and roll each out on a floured surface.

Saute the squash. You'll sauté them for a few minutes with a little oil before you add them to the gnocchi.

Make the browned butter. See tips for making browned butter below to achieve the best results!

Cook the gnocchi. Once the water is boiling rapidly, you quickly and carefully drop the gnocchi in. They only need to cook for a few minutes, so keep a close eye on them. Wait to cook the gnocchi until just before you are ready to serve. I recommend only cooking what you think you will eat in one sitting, as this dish does not reheat particularly well.

Tips for making browned butter

Brown butter is amazing! The complex nutty flavor is a great addition to so many dishes. To make brown butter you simply cook unsalted butter for medium heat until the butter begins to foam and brown. Stir it frequently so it doesn't burn. You're looking for a deep, rich brown color. Cook for 4-5 minutes total then transfer to a bowl to stop the browning process. Be sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

You can freeze brown butter for use later. Be sure to let it cool first and then stir well to ensure everything is evenly distributed. If you want more tips on how to freeze brown butter check out my post about creative uses for ice cube trays. There are so many options for using brown butter - add it to mashed potatoes, throw it on some grilled or steamed veggies, or stir into some warm pasta. It's worth making a little extra when you are doing it!   

Freezing instructions

After you've rolled out and cut the gnocchi, place them on a small baking sheet, cover and freeze for at least 24 hours. Once solid, you can remove them from the baking sheet and put them in a zip-top bag or another freezer-safe container. When you are ready to cook them, follow the cooking instructions in the recipe, adding a minute or so to the cooking time.

Tools you'll want for this recipe

Silicone pastry mat – This is a very useful kitchen tool. I like that it has multiple forms of measurement right on the mat...circles for round dough like pie crust and inch markings along the side of the mat for other types of dough. It also makes cleaning up much easier than if you were to roll the dough directly on the counter.

Handheld Juicer – I love these juicers – you’ll see me mention them often in blog posts.  They come in three sizes – lime, lemon, and orange 

Serving suggestions

This dish is quite nice all on its own, however, for a complete date night meal, I'd pair it with a simple green salad and this Espresso Pot de Crème for dessert.

More date night recipes

If you are looking for more great date night dishes check out these reader favorites:

• Creamy Lemon Pasta. While this recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal, the bright lemon flavor and parmesan breadcrumbs give it a touch of elegance.
• Shrimp Lingine with Lemon Artichoke Pesto. Shrimp and linguine noodles are tossed with a light artichoke pesto to give you an elegant yet easy weeknight dinner that works for date night too

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This post was originally published in April 2018. It was updated in February 2022 with some new information. No changes were made to the original recipe.