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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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This looks amazing and so easy to follow! If I wanted to make this eggless- what could I substitute/what do you recommend?
Hey there,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe without the egg, you could try an egg replacement. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can you substitute potato flour for this recipe instead of 00 flour?
Hey Cass,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I tried it with just egg! Had to add a little more than 3 tablespoons (1 egg equivalent) and it turned out great!!
Awesome!!
My first Half Baked Harvest recipe that did not turn out. They boiled well but when I drained and transferred to the butter, they fell apart and I ended up with one mass lump. They tasted good but what a disaster!
Hey Nikki,
So sorry to hear this. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Flavors were incredible. My gnocchi rolled out nicely, but it did not hold together at all after boiling!! It ended up being mushy. I thought I was on track for beautiful gnocchi pillows. I even strained and squeezed the thawed spinach a lot. Darn.
Hey Michelle,
So sorry to hear this, sounds like you did everything correctly, I’m not sure what could have gone wrong! xTieghan
My first batch turned out the same, it fell apart and was mushy. Although the flavours were too good to give up. Make sure egg yolk ONLY , i almost added whole eggs to it. I tried one more batch another day making sure to squeeze as much as possible out of the cooked spinach and ricotta. I also used more than 1/2 cup of flour. I added more flour until it was the right consistency. It ended up being closer to 1 cup of flour for my second batch but it was still very soft to the bite 🙂 when i boiled my gnoochi, it was more of a light simmer too. my second batch was EXCELLENT 🙂
Hey there,
Thanks for making this recipe! Sorry to hear you had some issues at first, but thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Glad to hear the recipe was enjoyed in the end:) xTieghan
The flavors in this were delicious! I have two recommendations that I will try next time I make this. First, after making the dough I would chill it for at least a couple hours. I think it would be a lot easier to form that way – it was pretty sticky and the pieces I cut didn’t hold together very well. Second, because the pieces didn’t hold together very well, I baked them after an unsuccessful attempt at boiling. Baking them worked really well! I’m sure air frying would be great too.
Hey Hallie,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. xTieghan
These taste great! I love the freshness the tomatoes bring as well. I did have issues with the gnocchi falling appart. I think this is because there was too much spinach. I would make it again but with 10 oz instead of 16.
Hey Emilie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) So sorry they fell apart for you. xTieghan
As usual, this recipe was delicious and came out perfectly! You have to drain the spinach probably more than you’ve drained anything before.. and then drain it a little more. I let it thaw in a colander and then pressed out the excess water probably 7 or 8 times to get it as dry as possible. End result were pillowy puffs of goodness that I can’t wait to make again!
Hey Lindsey,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Such a delicious combo! This is the easiest pasta I’ve made. I think next time I would roast the tomatoes in the oven to help with time management and I would put more salt in the pasta mixture. Thanks Tieghan this is such a great vegetarian dinner option and I know I’ll be making it through the winter and maybe adding mushrooms because why not!
Hey Kali,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
I had this in Italy twice, (well three times as I had it twice in Milan). In Siena it was called Malfetto and served in a red sauce. In Milan it was called Gnudi and was served in an Alfredo sauce. It was delicious both ways.
I was told by the owner of the restaurant in Siena that it was called Malfetto or “malformed” because it was like ravioli without the pasta, just the filling. In Milan the waiter told me they were called Gnudi because they were naked without the pasta covering to make them ravioli.
I have to admit I liked the version in Milan better, mostly because I love cheese and there is nothing like cheese in Italy.
I did get a gnocchi board in San Gimignano so I can eventually make traditional gnocchi.
But these spinach gnocchi will still be my favorite.
Hey there,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Thanks so much for sharing your experience in Italy. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Great taste but needed way more flour. I squeezed out all the moisture from the spinach and the ricotta and still found they were too moist as gnocchi . I decided to brown them a lot to crisp them up.
Hey Hazel,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
This just didn’t appeal to me at all. It was extremely filling and the flavor was very heavy tasting. I will not be making this again. It makes a mess of your kitchen with all the prep and then 3 pans to finish the meal! I love to cook, but this was not for me or my family.
Hi Barbara,
Again, so sorry this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for trying it! xTieghan
Hi –
Would you try this with fresh spinach? I have an abundance of fresh spinach and I would love to use it in this recipe. Should I could it first and squeeze water out? or use fresh? Thank you in advance!!! So excited to try this.
Hey Nancy,
Fresh spinach would work well here, you will want to sauté it first and then drain all of the liquid. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I haven’t cooked the gnocchi yet, but I will say if you made this with only 1/2 cup flour the remaining ingredients had to be different. I squeezed the liquid out of the thawed spinach and tried 1/2 cup flour. Added more and more and more and more. I must have used at least 3cups of flour. I hope it tastes as good as it looks, but mine are much more spinach than yours. Used 16 oz of thawed spinach. I’ll let you know how it tastes, but the ingredients sure are not correct!!
Hey Barbara,
So sorry you had issues here. All of the ingredients are correct, I do note that you will slowly need to add more flour until the dough forms. Please let me know how I can help for next time! xTieghan
Agree with the other comments about the dough being a little wet. I do think squeezing out the spinach would help. I ended up adding more flour and while they weren’t pretty, they tasted AMAZING! Will try again and might try squeezing the gnocchi out of a pastry bag instead of rolling/cutting!
Hey Erin,
Happy Friday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! xTieghan
I made the dough and froze the gnocchi.
Now I am wondering if I should cook from frozen state or thaw?
The pieces appear to be delicate and I am worried they will fall apart.
What do you suggest please?
Hey Denise,
You can cook from frozen, once they rise to the top they are done:) I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, I’m a huge fan of your page and recipes – the Honey Ginger Noodles and Kung Pao cauliflower are in heavy rotation at my house! That said, I tried this recipe and the gnocchi completely broke down in the salt water bath. I wonder if squeezing the excess water from the thawed spinach and chilling the dough would have helped? Anyway, the ingredients were amazing, so after the first small test batch, I switched to rolling into small balls and pan frying. It was still amazing!
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so sorry you had issues! I do think draining any extra liquid would help for next time! xTieghan