Ricotta Gnocchi with Spinach
Ricotta gnocchi with spinach are soft, pillowy dumplings made without potatoes: fresh baby spinach, creamy ricotta, grated Parmesan, and egg are bound with a little flour, shaped into walnut-sized balls, and poached in gently simmering water. They cook in minutes, come out tender and light, and are finished with peppery arugula and a drizzle of olive oil. If you have ever tried classic Tuscan gnudi or malfatti, these belong to the same family of ricotta-based dumplings.
This is comfort food with real Italian roots, the kind of dish that tastes special without asking much of you. The spinach keeps everything fresh and green, the ricotta keeps it soft, and the Parmesan and nutmeg give it that warm, savory depth you expect from authentic Italian cuisine. Let me walk you through how to get them right the first time.
Why ricotta is the secret to tender gnocchi
Ricotta is the secret ingredient for the creamy and rich texture of gnocchi. Because these dumplings skip potatoes entirely, the ricotta does the heavy lifting: it keeps the inside soft and moist while the egg and a small amount of flour hold everything together. The trick is to use just enough flour to bind the mixture, no more. Too much flour and the gnocchi turn dense and heavy; too little and they can fall apart in the water. A good ricotta, well drained, gives you that light, cloud-like bite that makes people ask for seconds.
What you’ll need
The ingredient list is short and every item earns its place. Here is what goes into the dough and why it matters:
- Fresh baby spinach: blanched briefly, then squeezed very dry and finely chopped. Getting the water out is the single most important step for gnocchi that hold their shape. If you love greens, you’ll find more ideas in our recipes with spinach.
- Ricotta cheese: the creamy base that keeps the dumplings soft and rich.
- Parmesan, grated: savory depth and a little salt built right into the dough.
- Eggs: the binder that holds the mixture together during poaching.
- White flour: just enough to bring the dough together, not a gram more.
- Garlic, parsley, and nutmeg: the aromatics that lift the whole thing and give it that classic Italian warmth.
- Arugula and olive oil: for serving, so the finished plate stays fresh and light.
New to this style of dumpling and want to understand how gnocchi work in general? Our what is gnocchi guide breaks down the different types.
How to shape and cook them right
These come together quickly once the spinach is prepped, but a few small habits make the difference between gnocchi that stay whole and gnocchi that dissolve. Keep these in mind:
- Squeeze the spinach hard. After blanching, wring it out in a kitchen towel until almost no liquid comes out. Wet spinach is the number one reason dumplings fall apart.
- Do not skip the chill. Shaping the mixture into walnut-sized balls and resting them in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes firms them up so they hold together when they hit the water.
- Wet your hands. Damp hands keep the sticky mixture from clinging to your fingers, so the balls come out smooth and even.
- Poach, do not boil hard. Bring the water to a boil, then lower it to a gentle simmer before adding the gnocchi. A rolling boil can knock them apart.
- Cook in small batches. Add only 8 to 10 at a time so they have room and do not stick together. They are ready about a minute after they float to the surface.
If you want to hold the cooked gnocchi while you finish the rest, slide them into a warm oven so they stay hot without drying out.
How to serve ricotta and spinach gnocchi
The simplest finish is often the best: a handful of fresh arugula and a drizzle of good olive oil, exactly as the recipe suggests. The peppery greens cut through the richness and let the ricotta shine. If you want to build a bigger plate, they also take beautifully to a light tomato sauce or a spoonful of browned butter with sage. A little extra grated Parmesan on top never hurts either.
Make-ahead and storage tips
This recipe is friendly to planning ahead. You can shape the dumplings and keep them raw in the fridge for a few hours before cooking, which actually helps them firm up. Once cooked, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat gently in a warm oven or a pan with a little olive oil. If you want to freeze them, do it before cooking: arrange the raw shaped balls on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag and cook straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two in the simmering water.
More gnocchi recipes to try
If these won you over, there is a whole world of dumplings waiting in our gnocchi recipes collection. A few favorites to start with:
- Parisian gnocchi, made from a choux-style dough instead of potato
- Veggie baked gnocchi casserole for a cozy oven-baked dinner
- Gnocchi soup when you want something warm and brothy
- Vegan stuffed gnocchi if you are cooking fully plant-based
If you make these ricotta and spinach gnocchi, I would love to know how they turned out for you. Leave a star rating below and drop a comment telling me how you served yours, with arugula and olive oil or a sauce of your own.
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Ricotta Gnocchi with Spinach
Ingredients
- 200 g baby spinach fresh
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 140 g ricotta cheese
- 85 g white flour
- 2 eggs
- 100 g Parmesan grated
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
To serve:
- 1 cup arugula
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, put the spinach and cover the spinach with boiling water. Leave the spinach in the water for around 2 minutes.
- Drain the water and transfer the remaining spinach to a kitchen towel. Squeeze the spinach well in a towel to remove the liquid. Finely chop the spinach.
- In a bowl, put chopped spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, grated Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Mix the ingredients with a spatula or fork until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- With the help of wet hands, form the composition into balls, approximately the size of a walnut. Put the balls on a tray or a plate and set aside in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.
- Bring water to a boil, in a large pot, over high heat. After it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook the gnocchi. Add 8-10 pieces to the pot, at a time, making sure they don't stick together.
- After the gnocchi come to the surface of the water, let them boil for one more minute and then take them out on a plate.
- To keep them warm, you can put them in a hot oven.
- Serve gnocchi with fresh arugula leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. These ricotta gnocchi with spinach contain no potato at all. They are made from ricotta, Parmesan, egg, spinach, and just enough flour to bind, which puts them in the same family as Tuscan gnudi or malfatti. The result is softer and lighter than dense potato gnocchi.
The two most common causes are wet spinach and skipping the chilling step. Squeeze the blanched spinach in a towel until almost no liquid remains, and rest the shaped balls in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes before cooking. Also poach them in a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, and cook only 8 to 10 at a time so they have room.
Yes. Shaping the dumplings and resting them in the fridge is actually built into the recipe, so making them a few hours ahead works in your favor. For longer storage, freeze the raw shaped balls on a tray until solid, then bag them and cook straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two in the water.
They are vegetarian. The dough includes eggs, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan, so it is not vegan. Note that traditional Parmesan is often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian-labeled hard cheese if that matters to you.
Yes, frozen spinach works. Thaw it completely and squeeze out as much water as you can, since excess moisture is what makes the gnocchi break apart. You will need roughly the same amount of drained spinach as the fresh baby spinach called for in the recipe.
The recipe finishes them simply with fresh arugula and a drizzle of olive oil, which keeps the plate light and lets the ricotta shine. They also pair well with a light tomato sauce or browned butter with sage, plus a little extra grated Parmesan on top.
