Ricotta Gnocchi with Caper Butter Sauce

Ricotta gnocchi are lighter, quicker and much easier to make than their potato brethren; mine come with a delicious caper butter sauce.

This recipe can be made in around 30 minutes, yes, you read that correctly, homemade gnocchi in half an hour... what are you waiting for?

Easy Homemade Gnocchi Without Potato

What, what, what, a homemade gnocchi recipe in less than 25 minutes, and they are not store-bought?

Tell me more, you say! Ok, the answer is ricotta cheese gnocchi.

Traditional potato gnocchi are often troublesome and notoriously inconsistent wee beasties.

They are so dependent on the moisture content of your potatoes. Possible to make at home, but certainly not easy and requires a little experience and practice.

I do love homemade gnocchi. Sure, they do not look as perfectly formed as the factory-churned-out jobbies. But they, for me, are the essence of good home cooking.

There is nothing wrong with shop-bought gnocchi, of course! I use them all of the time in dishes like my mushroom gnocchi bake, chorizo gnocchi, sausage and tomato gnocchi, gnocchi with tomato sauce and classic Gnocchi alla Sorrentina.

These simple light pillows of loveliness are wrapped in a parsley, caper and lemon butter sauce.

These are a combination of flavours that I love that already appear here in dishes like my veal scallopini and tuna steak with capers recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use an onion instead of a shallot?

At a push, yes, but I use shallots a lot for a few reasons.

The first is that they are smaller and ideal for dishes designed for two, but they are also sweeter and milder than onions.

Finally, they are easier to dice into much smaller pieces and as a result, give a much more refined finish to sauces.

What is "plain" flour?

A question often asked by readers based in the Continental United States, to you guys, this is all-purpose flour.

If you are in Europe, this is either type 55, 550 or 0 depending on where you are based.

Do I need to drain the ricotta cheese?

Not really, although you should pour out any excess water that sometimes appears at the top of the packet.

What texture should the gnocchi be when you mix them?

Your ricotta gnocchi dough should be quite light and wet, but it should not be sticky. If it is sticky, add a little more flour.

Serving Suggestions

I tend to serve these ricotta cheese gnocchi as a simple light vegetarian meal, and the only side I consider is a little bread.

You could opt for some garlic bread if you wanted, although I would typically just warm some ciabatta bread. It is perfect for mopping up any remaining lemon butter sauce.

That does not mean that you are out of recommendations from me!

You can very easily change up the sauce that these delicate ricotta gnocchi are served with.

An absolute classic is a simple mix of butter and fresh sage; it simply works beautifully.

You could also do a lemon butter with some spicy chilli flakes, or the sauce from my roasted garlic pasta recipe.

If you want to go full-on tomato sauce, something like the one in this penne arrabbiata recipe would be good. However, I personally think it is a little too pokey for the delicate flavour of the dumplings.

Equipment Used

I only recommend brands of equipment if I think that they will make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Mixing bowl.
• 20cm or 8" saucepan,
• 24-30cm or 10-12" frying pan.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Colander or sieve.
• Grater.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.