Let Me Tell You About the Time I Made This Gnocchi

You ever have one of those evenings where you start something in the kitchen, thinking it’ll be a quick dinner, and suddenly you’re in flour up to your elbows and laughing at yourself? That’s honestly how I stumbled into the whole Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus Pesto thing. I remember the first time I tried—my friend Rosy popped over unexpectedly and caught me talking to a lump of dough. She hasn’t let me live it down. (And yes, I did lock myself out of my own house while the gnocchi water was coming to a boil, but that’s another tale.) Anyway, this dish is a bit of a spring ritual now—a little messy, super tasty, and not actually that hard once you get rolling.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus Pesto

Why You’ll Love This (Well, at Least I Do)

I make this ricotta gnocchi with asparagus pesto when I want a dinner that feels a bit posh, but I can’t handle the fuss of, you know, restaurant cooking. My family goes absolutely mad for it because it’s pillowy and fresh and the pesto, let’s be honest, is a cheeky way to eat a whole bunch of greens without realizing it. Plus, if you’re like me and had a gnocchi-disaster-once-upon-a-time (mine glued itself to the counter), this version is so much kinder. Oh, and did I mention there’s pretty much zero kneading? So if you’ve ever killed a sourdough starter, this is more forgiving.

What You’ll Need (And What I Actually Use)

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (sometimes I grab part-skim, no one’s complained yet)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I’ve even used Grana Padano, shh)
1 large egg
Salt and pepper, a pinch of each
1 cup all-purpose flour (give or take — honestly, I eyeball the last spoonful)
For the pesto:
- 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends snapped off
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts (pine nuts if I’m feeling fancy, or just skip if I’m out)
- 1 garlic clove (or two if you like scaring away vampires)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (see above, substitutions welcomed)
- Juice from half a lemon (or whatever citrus is rolling in the fridge, I’ve even used lime, don’t tell anyone)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Small bunch of fresh basil, about a handful (I’ve used baby spinach in a pinch – turns out just as green!)
- Salt and pepper, to taste (I just keep a small bowl by my elbow and go for it)

Let’s Make This: The Not-Scary Steps

Drain the Ricotta: Plop the ricotta in a fine mesh strainer or just in a coffee filter set over a bowl for about 10 minutes. Sometimes I forget and just blot it with paper towels. Doesn’t seem to make a big difference honestly.
Mix the Dough: In a big bowl, toss in your ricotta, egg, Parmesan, a big pinch of salt and some pepper. Stir it all together like you mean it. Add in most of the flour, then mix gently—just until you can wrangle everything into a rough dough. It’ll be a bit sticky. That’s fine. Actually, I find it better if it’s a little on the tacky side; keeps things light.
Shape the Gnocchi: Scrape the dough onto a floured board (or honestly, I just do this on a cutting board balancing over the open dishwasher). Sprinkle some more flour on top. Divide the dough into 4. Roll each bit into a rope that’s about as thick as your thumb. Then chop into gnocchi pillows—about 1-inch each. If you want to roll them over a fork for those ridges, go for it. I usually can’t be bothered, but the kids like helping here.
Boil Some Water: Get a big pot of salted water bubbling away. While that’s coming up, start the pesto.
Pesto Time: In a blender or food processor (or honestly, a stick blender in a tall jug—you do you), blitz the asparagus (raw, yes, I promise), walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper. Once it’s all chopped up, drizzle in that olive oil while blending until it’s a glorious green paste. Taste for seasoning. This is where I usually sneak a spoonful for myself.
Cook the Gnocchi: Slide the gnocchi into the simmering water. Stir gently so they don’t stick to each other. When they float to the top (about 2-3 minutes), scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Don’t overcook—mushy gnocchi are a sad thing (ask me how I know).
Toss and Serve: Dump the cooked gnocchi into a big bowl. Spoon over the asparagus pesto and toss gently. Add a drizzle of olive oil or more cheese if you’re like me. Serve right away, while it’s all steamy and inviting. Sometimes I top with a splash more lemon for a zippy finish.

Notes I Wish I Knew Earlier

If your ricotta is really wet, you’ll need way more flour (which makes things heavier). So, draining is your friend if you’ve got the patience—I sometimes don’t.
Pesto keeps really well, but it does darken a bit after a day. Not that mine ever gets a chance to sit around here.
You can totally prep the gnocchi in advance and freeze them flat on a tray, then bag up. They go straight into boiling water from frozen, which is super handy for last-minute dinner panic.

Bizarre Experiments and Variations

Tried using peas instead of asparagus for the pesto. Was oddly sweet. Not my favorite, but the kids inhaled it.
Once swapped in crumbled feta for half the ricotta. A bit saltier, but kind of good if you like tangy.
Made the gnocchi with gluten-free flour (rice blend). Texture was more… chewy than pillowy. I’d say, not my first pick, but edible. Your mileage may vary.

Got the Right Gear? And What If You Don’t?

You should use a food processor for the pesto—it just makes light work of all those stalks. But when mine broke (thanks to someone blending a spoon, not naming names), I just used a big mug and my stick blender. Works fine, a bit chunkier. Also, you technically need a strainer for the ricotta but I once used a (clean!) sock in a pinch. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Storing Leftovers (But Let’s Be Real)

If you somehow have leftovers, put them in a lidded container in the fridge. They’ll keep for about 2 days, though honestly, in my house they never last more than a day! I think the gnocchi taste even better fried up in a pan next day (little bit chewy, all crispy—love it). Pesto can be covered with a slick of olive oil and shoved in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How I Like to Serve This

I love to serve this with a big salad, maybe some lemony arugula, and lots of fresh bread to mop up stray pesto. My partner claims it pairs best with icy white wine (no contest), and the kids always sneak extra cheese on top. This is the dish that ends up as the star at our laid-back Sunday lunches, usually when someone’s about to head off to footy. Sometimes I even add roasted cherry tomatoes on top—just to keep things colorful.

Things I Learned the Hard Way

Do not overwork the dough or you’ll get rubbery gnocchi. I once tried mixing it to death in my stand mixer—big mistake.
If you season the water well, you can actually use a bit less cheese at the end. Who knew?
Pesto can be a bit strong if you use loads of raw garlic, so maybe dial it down and taste first. (My first batch—whoa. My breath could stop a bear.)

Wait—Questions I Get All the Time

Can I use store-bought pesto?
Of course you can. No judgment! It’ll taste different (asparagus is pretty unique), but honestly, it’s still good. I do this when I’m flat out.
Is it possible to make the gnocchi without egg?
Yeah, actually, just skip it but expect the dough to be a bit trickier. Maybe add a spoon of flour or a splash of olive oil. Texture will change slightly—but they’ll still hold together (mostly…)
How do you know when gnocchi are cooked?
Once they pop up to the surface, give them another 30 seconds, then out they come. But if you forget for a minute or two, they won’t dissolve instantly! I promise.
Can you freeze pre-shaped gnocchi?
Absolutely. In fact, I’d say do it. Freeze them flat on a tray first (so they don’t clump together), then bag up after an hour or so. Straight into the pot from frozen.
Is this dish tricky for beginners?
It’s easier than it looks! The dough can be sticky and weird and vaguely alarming at first, but goes together faster than you’d think. And worst case, you just end up with pasta blobs, which taste just as good with pesto. Trust me, I’ve been there.

And… that’s it! If you try this out, let me know if your kitchen ends up looking as wild as mine. (Actually, mine’s probably messier.) Enjoy!

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus Pesto