Ricotta gnocchi
Today we will see together how to make GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES, an easy basic recipe to prepare homemade gnocchi in a few minutes that will be soft but not mushy, with a delicate flavor ideal with any type of seasoning.
An alternative to traditional POTATO GNOCCHI, with a dough that is easy to knead and shape without being sticky, which you can then choose to simply cut into squares or give them the classic shape with a gnocchi board or a fork.
The dough for this recipe, a variant of classic GNOCCHI, is made up of a few simple ingredients that you probably already have at home: RICOTTA, ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, EGGS, and PARMESAN, you don’t need anything else!
Preparing the recipe for GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES is within everyone’s reach and no kitchen skills are needed. Just mix ricotta, flour, parmesan, eggs, and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. After a quick mix in the bowl with a fork, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead quickly, form a ball, divide it into 4 parts, and without letting the dough rest, you can immediately shape your RICOTTA GNOCCHI without Potatoes.
These Potato-free Gnocchi with ricotta, due to their delicate, almost neutral flavor, are suitable for any type of seasoning: butter and sage, a simple tomato sauce, basil pesto, alla SORRENTINA with mozzarella and tomato sauce, today I decided to season them with ZUCCINI and SHRIMPS for a light but flavorful main course suitable also as a single dish.
The trick for a perfect result is to knead little and quickly, and you’ll have homemade GNOCCHI without POTATOES that are soft and melt in your mouth and, since there are no potatoes, they last longer.
Try these RICOTTA GNOCCHI without POTATOES and you’ll see how good they are. Even children will love them. For a gluten-free version of Potato-free Gnocchi, check out the GNOCCHI with BUCKWHEAT FLOUR without POTATOES recipe.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 608.28 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 50.49 (g) of which sugars 2.84 (g)
- Proteins 41.82 (g)
- Fat 27.75 (g) of which saturated 15.69 (g)of which unsaturated 8.66 (g)
- Fibers 1.67 (g)
- Sodium 1,090.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
INGREDIENTS needed to prepare GNOCCHI without POTATOES
This recipe for GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES includes ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR in the ingredients. If you have gluten intolerance issues and want to prepare RICOTTA GNOCCHI without potatoes also gluten-free, check out my recipe for GNOCCHI with BUCKWHEAT FLOUR without POTATOES.
- 16 oz ricotta
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 zucchini
- 7 oz shrimps (or fresh or frozen prawns)
- extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch chopped parsley (for final decoration)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pot
- Pan
- Gnocchi Board
HOW TO MAKE GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES
Put the ricotta in a bowl and work it lightly with a fork to soften it, then add the egg, parmesan, and a pinch of salt, and start mixing with the fork. As soon as the mixture is combined, start incorporating the flour little by little until it is fully absorbed. If you prefer, you can move to a lightly floured work surface.
Work the dough until it becomes elastic and homogeneous. Form a ball and divide it into 4 parts with a knife. Take one of the 4 portions and, using your palms, round it to form a cylinder about 0.6 inches in diameter. Then, with a knife, cut pieces about 0.6 inches long from the cylinder, which will be your gnocchi, trying to make them all the same size. You can leave them like this or give them the classic gnocchi shape with the gnocchi board.
Before starting, put a pot with plenty of slightly salted water on the stove, as you’ll need it to cook the gnocchi without potatoes. Now you can start preparing the sauce. Clean the zucchini, remove the ends, and cut them into thin strips. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan, add the zucchini, a pinch of salt, and cook for about 5-8 minutes stirring often. Meanwhile, clean the shrimps by removing the head and shell, then rinse them under running water. Add the shrimp to the pan with the zucchini and let them flavor for a couple of minutes until cooked. Turn off and set aside.
Meanwhile, the water will have reached a boil, add the ricotta gnocchi and cook for about 4 minutes. Generally, when they are cooked, they float to the surface. Drain them with a slotted spoon directly into the pan with the sauce. Mix gently to combine (to mix them without breaking, use two spoons together), let them flavor over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.
Another pairing I recommend is a tasty cheese sauce made by melting in a bain-marie: Raschera, or Toma, or another melting cheese along with half its weight in fresh liquid cooking cream or for a flavorful and crunchy version, a dressing based on Zucchini and Crispy Bacon.
STORAGE
The gnocchi without potatoes can be frozen as soon as they are made and not yet cooked. Just put them on a tray well spaced in the freezer, and once they have hardened, you can transfer them to freezer bags. Once cooked and seasoned, it is advisable to eat them immediately.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: If you prefer a more rustic flavor that vaguely recalls that of VALTELLINA PIZZOCCHERI, you can replace part of the flour with Buckwheat. The best proportions for substitution are: 180 g buckwheat flour + 70 g of All-Purpose Flour instead of 240 g of All-Purpose Flour.
RICOTTA: For the Potato-free Gnocchi recipe, buy cow’s milk ricotta. Before using it, place it in a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl to let the excess water drain, otherwise it could ruin the dough.
PARMESAN: Do not omit this ingredient because it not only gives a good taste to the Gnocchi but also provides the right consistency to the dough.
GLUTEN-FREE POTATO-FREE GNOCCHI: If you want to prepare GLUTEN-FREE RICOTTA GNOCCHI due to intolerance issues, check out my recipe for GNOCCHI with BUCKWHEAT FLOUR without POTATOES.
WHAT SAUCE FOR GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES
The delicate and almost neutral flavor of Gnocchi with Potatoes pairs well with many sauces. Starting from a simple tomato sauce, to WALNUT SAUCE, or Genovese PESTO, up to richer and more elaborate sauces. If you love bolder flavors, try tasting them with a cheese cream like STRINGY CHEESE GNOCCHI, or alla SORRENTINA with mozzarella and tomato sauce. A good Neapolitan ragù or a sausage ragù are equally valid ideas.
WHERE GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES COME FROM
The world is divided between those who love very soft gnocchi and those who love them more substantial. For those in the latter category, it’s better to rely on the grandma’s recipe for potato-free gnocchi, which are very popular in Southern Italy. Their peculiarity lies precisely in their consistency, which is pleasantly firm (not hard) and solid to the bite. Besides being a traditional recipe, making potato-free gnocchi is also a great solution if you don’t have potatoes at home or if you don’t have the time (or desire) to boil them. Simple and quick, with very few ingredients, but a guaranteed success.
VARIANTS OF GNOCCHI WITHOUT POTATOES
Although the term gnocchi immediately brings to mind the classic POTATO GNOCCHI, there are really many variants that do not involve the use of potatoes in the dough, starting with the ROMAN GNOCCHI, which are made with semolina and water and are baked with butter, grated cheese, and nutmeg.
Many regional recipes are prepared with stale bread; these are poor recipes that come from tradition and from a past where wasting leftovers was unthinkable: this is probably how the famous CANEDERLI with SPECK from Trentino were born, which involve old bread in the dough along with other ingredients like milk, speck, grated cheese, and eggs.
Many other gnocchi variants involve the use of flours and vegetables, such as the SPATZLE, green dumplings with spinach in the dough, and many others.
