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This Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes makes for the perfect dinner from now through fall. Making gnocchi at home is easy with this recipe that uses frozen spinach and ricotta cheese. It’s light, pillowy, and tossed with juicy, blistered cherry tomatoes in a delicious nutty sage butter sauce. Serve this quick-cooking gnocchi topped with plenty of parmesan cheese. Every bite is layered with delicious, summery flavors. The perfect way to spend a relaxing night in the kitchen with family and friends.
I’m back home and already re-creating the dishes we ate in Mexico. Funny enough, we ate some incredible Italian food while in Cabo. I mean, we ate more tacos for sure. But between Flora Farms and a cute little Italian restaurant called, Romeo & Julieta we also ate plenty of pizza, pasta, and gnocchi!!
You guys ask all the time where I find inspiration for recipes. There’s no denying that traveling and eating out is always one of the best sources for new ideas. Granted there’s nothing all too creative about this gnocchi, but regardless it’s unreal how delicious it is. And I surely wouldn’t have had the idea to create the recipe if we hadn’t ordered something similar from Romeo & Julieta’s…a small spot in town.
I actually didn’t order this dish, but multiple people at the table did. And the verdict was pretty clear, the gnocchi was surely the thing on the menu to order. Well…the gnocchi and the the fresh burrata and fig appetizer.
Both are delicious…and I think I need to re-create that burrata next!
Ricotta gnocchi is easy – the details
If you have not made gnocchi at home, start with this recipe. It’s pretty no fuss and I am declaring it the best gnocchi recipe that currently lives on HBH.
You’re basically just mixing chopped spinach with ricotta cheese, flour, parmesan, and egg yolks. Yes, this gnocchi has just five ingredients. And while it takes some hands-on time, it’s really fairly simple to make. I usually put on a podcast while making, or ask the family to help if we’re doing a big dinner.
The dough comes together in no time. Once you’ve formed the dough, then it’s time to shape the gnocchi.
When it comes to forming the gnocchi, I keep it very, very simple. I like to roll the gnocchi dough into a long rope and then just cut that rope into pieces. And that’s it. No fancy tools, no fancy rolling method. Just keep it simple.
Once you’ve rolled and shaped the gnocchi they can be covered and kept in the fridge for a day or so or frozen for a few months. Then just boil them off before you’re ready to eat. I’m excited to have a batch already stashed in the freezer.
The sage butter sauce
It’s basic, but it sure is real good. Salted butter cooked together with sage and garlic. The butter browns and the sage get crispy. It’s really just perfect.
Once the gnocchi has cooked, toss it with the sauce and let it hang out in the sauce while you make the tomatoes.
Now the tomatoes
The dish that was served to us had smoked cherry tomatoes. I didn’t want to mess with smoking tomatoes (nor do I have a smoker), so I just made some simple blistered cherry tomatoes. It take five minutes tops.
Cook them in olive oil until they just begin to char. Once the tomatoes are charring, toss with thyme and balsamic vinegar. They turn sweet and become addictingly delicious.
To finish it up, serve the gnocchi and sauce with the tomatoes and extra parmesan on top.
Kind of fancy, kind of not, but definitely SO GOOD!
Tip? Pour yourself a glass of wine, or make a fun spritz, and enjoy these awesome summer nights. Oh, and a loaf of crusty bread would be delicious too.
Looking for other summer recipes? Here are some favorites:
Pesto Cheese Zucchini Ravioli with Burst Tomatoes
Pesto Peach Chicken in White Wine with Burrata
Lastly, if you make this Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 327 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 8 leaves fresh chopped sage
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups small cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- 1. To make the gnocchi. In a bowl, mix together the spinach, ricotta, egg yolks, flour, parmesan, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir until just combined. If the dough feels wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough can be formed into a ball. The dough should be sticky.2. Flour the counter and scrape the dough out onto it. Cut the dough into four pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a rope about 1-inch thick and cut into bite-size pieces. Repeat this process, placing the gnocchi on a floured baking sheet. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the top and are cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Drain.4. Melt together the butter, garlic, and sage in a large skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until the butter is browning and the sage is crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Drop the gnocchi into the butter sauce, gently tossing to combine. Keep over low heat. 5. In a skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil, tomatoes and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes begin to pop, about 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat, toss the tomatoes with the thyme and balsamic vinegar. 6. Divide the gnocchi and sauce among bowls. Top with tomatoes and parmesan. EAT!
Notes
To Make Ahead: Form the gnocchi through step 3. The gnocchi can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 1 day or frozen for 4 months. Simply boil just before you’re ready to eat and toss with sauce.
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Tasty dish. I’m generally not a big gnocchi fan because they’re too dense, but these were light and fluffy! The recipe didn’t make as much as I expected, so I added a simple salad with Caesar dressing to round out the meal.
Hey Karen,
Happy Wednesday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Super disappointed this didn’t work out for me! Th dough was too watery and wouldn’t stick together. I cooked the dough as drop dumplings, but they ended up just tasting like flour because of my attempts to bring the dough together.
Hey Tessa,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help for next time! xTieghan
It was delicious, but my gnocchi would stay together. I had to treat them like drop dumplings. Should I have added more flour?
Hey Amity,
Awesome! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Yes, next time I would add a touch more flour. Have the best week! xTieghan
I had some difficulty getting the dough together. I had to use probably an extra 1.5-2 cups of flour to get it to come together where it wasn’t goop without any structure. I even strained the spinach beforehand, so I don’t know how it ended up so wet. The flavors were fantastic, but I was disappointed with the texture of the gnocchi in the end, because it felt so chewy and doughy (probably from all the extra flour that maybe produced gluten?, but it was necessary to make it happen at all). Not sure what needed to be done differently. Please advise for next time!
Hey Kaley,
So sorry to hear this, draining the spinach really helps, other than that I am not sure where you could have gone wrong. What kind of flour did you use? Please let me know how I can help for next time! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
It was just regular AP flour. Do you think that maybe next time fresh spinach may work better? Should I keep it leafy or try it semi-cooked and strained? I’m really wanting to give this another try but am hestitant.
Hey Kaley,
If you want to use fresh spinach next time, I would just be sure to fully cook down the spinach and drain well. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Never made gnocchi before and this was delicious. Another recipe that hasn’t failed us, thanks!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Amazing gnocchi! I used fresh spinach and had to add more flour (a lot more flour was needed). It was super tasty! I will def make it again.
Hey there,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
I found this to be soooooo bland. It tasted like watered down spinach and I even took the time to drain it prior. And it took forever!! Would not make again
Hey Vicki,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe! xTieghan
Outstanding- the gnocchi was so flavorful and tasty, as well as the tomatoes! Squeezed excellent liquid out of the spinach beforehand. Used about a cup+ more of flour than in the recipe.
Hey Alex,
Fantastic! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! xTieghan
I’ve never had a recipe attempt fail so spectacularly on me before. The gnocchi must have been too moist- they simply fell apart completely. I had to bail and make some backup pasta.
I think the instructions could probably use more detail so that it’s more obvious what to watch out for.
Hey Kate,
So sorry this recipe did not workout for you, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was a wonderful recipe! I did followed this recipe for one batch and it was perfect! My husband is lactose intolerant and I wanted him to enjoy this as well. So, I replaced the ricotta and parmesan with goat cheese and manchego, it was wonderful. He loved his and I loved mine. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes!!! Love each one of them!
Hey Christina,
Happy Wednesday!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
So I haven’t cooked these off yet but I halved the dough recipe as I’m just feeding 2 people and the dough came together beautifully! Whenever you use frozen spinach with literally ANY recipe you always drain it (I used a kitchen towel to squeeze excess water). I followed THROUGH step three (boiled for 3 minutes in small batches) and transferred to an oiled baking sheet. I’m oven roasting the tomatoes because I have extra time on my hands as these are for dinner later tonight. I’m betting this will be another fantastic recipe! Thank YOU!
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
Hi! I made this recipe last night, though it was amazing I really struggled with getting the dough to come together. I was shocked because I usually am pretty good at making pasta and gnocchi. I drained the spinach completely but it still was extremely wet, which led me to use more flour than the 1/2 cup. Would you recommend letting the spinach dry out for a few hours to ensure no extra moisture is added? Thanks! <3
Hey Savannah,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, so sorry it was wet for you! You definitely want to use more flour as needed, but next time you could certainly allow the spinach to dry out for a little longer. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Regrettably I made the same mistake many others have, not draining the spinach, and then having to add tons of flour to get it closer to the desired consistency. I wish I had read the comments before trying the recipe.
I wonder if you can change the instructions so that others don’t repeat this mistake. Seems like a simple remedy. Thanks for your otherwise great recipes.
Hey Daryl,
So sorry to hear this, thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
I tried this recipe for my family brunch yesterday. The flavours were truly divine! Well done!
Sandra D.
Hey Sandra,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Meant to add a 5 star rating!
Thanks again Renee!
This was EXCELLENT! I only had fresh spinach, and it worked fine in the recipe instead of frozen. I did have to add about double the amount of flour until the dough came together and formed a ball I could handle. The tomatoes were delicious and fresh, and the gnocchi was so soft. I will definitely be making again.
Hey Renee,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan