Ricotta Gnocchi with Herby Mushrooms and Sage Browned Butter.
This Ricotta Gnocchi with Herby Mushrooms and Sage Browned Butter makes for the perfect September dinner. Making gnocchi at home is easy with this recipe using ricotta cheese. It’s light, pillowy, and tossed with golden caramelized mushrooms in a delicious nutty sage browned butter sauce. Serve this quick-cooking gnocchi topped with plenty of cheesy garlic breadcrumbs. Every bite is layered with delicious, warming flavors. The perfect way to spend a relaxing night in the kitchen with family and friends.
Like clockwork, September hits and I’m back to browning butter and cooking with sage. Look, I know it’s very early into the month. I also know we still have Labor Day coming up. But I can’t help but be excited for the warming fall comfort food I love so much.
Here in Colorado, the temperatures have dropped and summer is definitely on it’s way out. I know most of you are most likely still enjoying eighty degree days, but hopefully, you can enjoy your warm temperatures and your ricotta gnocchi too. I think you can, I see this as the perfect summer meets fall dinner. I mean you’ve got your summer garden herbs mixed together with September’s delicious mushrooms. Then all tossed in a nutty warming browned butter with softy, pillowy ricotta gnocchi.
The inspiration for this ricotta gnocchi with herby mushrooms…
Our overflowing herb garden that’s honestly the prettiest I’ve seen in a while. It’s the lushest it’s been all summer and bursting with some of my favorite warming herbs – thyme, sage, rosemary, and oregano. Our basil on the other hand is slowly starting to whittle down. BUT, we still have a few new plants popping up! Crossing my fingers we can make these herbs last through September. You just never know with the cold temperature we get up here this time of year.
Anyway, with so many herbs I knew some kind of herby sauce was in order. I’ve never made ricotta gnocchi before, so I thought why not toss some homemade gnocchi with all these herbs. Sounds pretty good, right? And since our local Colorado mushrooms are flourishing right now, that was my vegetable of choice. Of course, after deciding on that, tossing everything in browned butter just came naturally.
All the details…
First, this gnocchi recipe is easier than you’d think and worth any extra time spent in the kitchen. Trust me on this.
Second, to sum this up real quick, you’re basically just mixing ricotta cheese with flour, parmesan, and eggs. Yes, this gnocchi has just four ingredients. And while it takes some hands-on time, it’s really fairly simple to make. For whatever reason, gnocchi gets a bad rap for being difficult. But it’s actually simple and always so much better when made at home. At least in my opinion.
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 keeping it simple.
Once you’ve rolled and shaped the gnocchi they can be covered and kept in the fridge for a day or so. Then just boil them off before you’re ready to eat.
Now, for that sauce.
It’s a nutty sage browned butter sauce with lots of golden mushrooms and thyme too. It’s truly the best sauce you’ll ever toss your gnocchi with.
Caramelized mushrooms, browned butter, garlic, thyme, and crispy sage. Just five ingredients, but when put together they create a rich, warming butter sauce that pairs so well with the light and airy gnocchi.
You could stop here and the recipe would be great….
But…you need to make some breadcrumbs.
Are these needed? Nope. But are they sooo delicious? YES.
These are simple, just toast up some sourdough bread with garlic, break into crumbs, and toss with Asiago cheese. These are very simple but they add a nice texture to the top of the gnocchi.
Put it all together and oh my…SO GOOD!
Recap…
…extra soft and pillowy.
…has light ricotta cheese and salty, nutty parmesan.
…tossed in an addicting nutty browned butter sauce.
…with golden mushrooms and thyme
…and topped with crispy, fried sage.
…plus cheesy, garlic breadcrumbs.
Every last bite is mouth-watering, that’s really all you need to know. Make this tonight, this weekend, or just sometime soon. It’s a delicious bowl of some really good homemade gnocchi…with lots buttery sauce. Of course!
Tip? Pour yourself a glass of wine or make your favorite cocktail and enjoy a bowl full of ricotta gnocchi. Ideal kind of September night.
Looking for other September dinner recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Herby Buttered Balsamic Mushroom Ravioli
Sage Lemon Butter Chicken Piccata with Mashed Cauliflower
Creamy Butternut Squash Alla Vodka Pasta
Pesto Polenta with Thyme Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas
Lastly, if you make this ricotta gnocchi with herby mushrooms and sage browned butter, 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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ricotta Gnocchi with Herby Mushrooms and Sage Browned Butter
Making gnocchi at home is easy with this delicious recipe using ricotta cheese!
Ingredients
Breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup finely torn sourdough bread
- 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
Gnocchi
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 3/4-1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups mixed mushrooms, roughly torn or sliced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 8 leaves fresh chopped sage
Instructions
-
1. To make the breadcrumbs. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss the olive oil, bread, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until toasted. Crumble the bread into fine crumbs or pulse in the food processor. Toss with the Asiago cheese. Set aside.
2. To make the gnocchi. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta and egg. Add 3/4 cup flour, the 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.
3. Generously 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. At this point, the gnocchi can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. Simply boil just before you're ready to eat. Or boil right away.
4. 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.
5. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, garlic, thyme, and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally until the butter is browning and the sage is crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Drop the gnocchi into the butter sauce, gently tossing to combine. Remove from the heat.
7. Divide the gnocchi among bowls. Top with breadcrumbs. EAT and ENJOY.
Our Favorite Recipes
Baked Boneless Honey BBQ Chicken Wings with Spicy Ranch.
Oh my goodness. Now I’m hungry
Yes! I hope you love this one if you get a chance to try it! xTieghan
Why do you have so few eggplant recipes?
I just do not cook with it too often! I could try more if you would like! xTieghan
Looks absolutely delicious! Going to give this a try this weekend!
Love that! Thank you so much Rebecca! xTieghan
Thank you for this recipe, just heavenly. Our guests were thrilled and enjoyed it very much. The last time we refined this already wonderfully tasting dish with fresh summer truffle (Tuber aestivum). You can find everything about truffles at http://www.trueffelhang.at. A culinary delight with or without.
Aw I am really happy to hear that! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
The recipe says to just cut the pieces. But your photos show them with some kind of pattern.
Hi Jan! Yes, if you have time you can roll them on a fork to create those ridges! If not, don’t worry about it! I hope you love this one! xTieghan
It looks very appetizing and beautiful! Thanks for the recipe! I will definitely cook this weekend.
Thank you so much Andrea! xTieghan
Thanks for the best recipe and i am going to do it tommarow.
I hope you love it! Thank you! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try!!
Thank you Carrie! xTieghan
Look delicioso 😋
Thank you Francisco! xTieghan
Yum! Have you ever used coconut flour for this? I would love to try but am trying to use coconut flour whenever I can instead of white flour.
Hey Kiley,
I wouldn’t recommend using coconut flour for this recipe, I think gluten free flour like Cup4cup would work better. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these for dinner tonight, absolutely delicious. 5 star recipe. Thank you!
Thank you Judy! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious. My insta is blowing up from the picture I posted last night after enjoying a beautiful bowl!!!
Wow yes! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Elizabeth! xTieghan
can other herba be used instead of thyme and sage
Hey Nik,
Sure you could use any herbs that you enjoy! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
If you are worried about making this recipe because you don’t like Gnocchi, don’t be! I would never order gnocchi at a restaurant but I would order this x100. It was delicious!!!
Thank you Kristy!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
All of your food photos are beautiful throughout your blog. Do you use a Canon 5D Mark III or Mark IV camera? Also do you use a Canon 100mm f/1.2 or 1.4 lens? Thanks so much and keep up the great work 🙂
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for your kind message! Here is the link for all of the products that I use: https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/shop/photography/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This ricotta gnocchi with herby mushrooms with sage. browned butter was truly TO DIE FOR! It’s quite simple to make, just takes some time (but it’s fun spending time cooking delicious food, right?).
We served it with a crispy green salad. The combo was great!
Thanks Tieghan for sharing!
Thank you so much Sarah! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
I can’t wait to try this! Can I use lowfat ricotta?
Hey Jill,
Yes that is fine to use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this for dinner last night. My family was scraping the pan at the end! It was a hit! Extra bonus: so so easy to make.
Amazing!! I am really glad you enjoyed this Alana! xTieghan
Could you freeze the gnocchi before boiling? If so, how long could I boil them from frozen?
Hey Rachel,
Yes you could freeze the gnocchi, boil from frozen for 5-7 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Although I didn’t make the gnocchi, I followed everything else using ricotta stuffed ravioli and omg. SO GOOD. DO NOT skip the breadcrumbs- I almost did but they’re so worth it. Amazing recipe!
Thank you so much Holly! I am so glad you loved this one! xTieghan
I’ve never made gnocchi before and this was so easy! Do you think a pan of these could be frozen?
As always thanks for the delicious recipes!!!My husband and I have never been disappointed!
Hey Lindsey,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes you could certainly freeze the gnocchi! xTieghan
This looks amazing!! Does it reheat well? Cooking for 1 and probably won’t eat it all in one sitting — well, hopefully not!! 🙂
Hey Shelby,
Yes totally fine to reheat! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
As soon as I saw this on Instagram….. I couldn’t get it out of my mind for a week. Not only was this so much fun to make, but it was absolutely delicious!mj The gnocchi came out just perfect, loved the mushrooms. I added even more sage leaves for extra flavour – didn’t get very much out of it as I was expecting to, but it doesn’t take away from this being a wonderful dish.
Amazing! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Victoria! Thank you! xTieghan
Just made this tonight. It’s divine! Thank you for the recipe! I never realized making gnocchi was so simple! Game changer
Thank you so much Megan! xTieghan
Family Favourite, I’ve made it twice in the past week!
It was so easy to make and everyone enjoyed it there was no left overs.
Thank you Kat! I am so glad you all loved this! xTieghan
Finally had a chance to make this tonight with my friend! It tasted delicious!!! It was so fun to make and I’m happy that it turned out so well.
Thank you Kate! xTieghan
This. Was. Amazing. It LOOKED intimidating, but it was so easy so very delicious.
I am so glad you still decided to try it! Thank you so much Hilary! xTieghan
This is such a hit! I has no idea how easy it was to make gnocchi! This will definitely be a repeat to
Enjoy!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Sabina! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
This turned out AMAZING! I do have a lot of left over breadcrumbs and was wondering how long would they last for in a sealed container in the fridge?
Hey Katie,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! They should be okay for up to 2 weeks, you can always re-toast them too. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I freeze some of the gnocchi before cooking for a later time? Thx
Hey Joanne,
Yes you can freeze the gnocchi. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was my first time making gnocchi and this recipe was delicious and easy to follow! Will definitely be making this one again!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that, Corrin! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this last night, it was absolutely delicious. Definitely try and get some mixed, different mushrooms instead of just the classic Bellas really adds to the dish. Can’t wait to make this again!
Thank you so much Alex! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Ok, so I made this tonight and holy moly. The sauce. I could have ROLLED in it. It was that amazing. I am so glad someone else commented and said not to skip the breadcrumbs because I was going to skip them. So glad I didn’t. We all loved them. However my gnocchi was not pretty and at first not great. I let some of them sit and after they cooled the texture got better. My husband said it reminded him of his grandmothers chicken and dumplings. Now, I haven’t had gnocchi freshly made before so maybe it’s just me getting used to it? Don’t know. It also could be my mad dash to get dinner on the table after having two small littles “helping” make the pasta dough. Any tips on making the gnocchi better are appreciated.
Hey Leticia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed the sauce. The gnocchi formation definitely takes some getting used to and really practice makes perfect! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So good! First time making gnocchi and it was such a hit. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes! They are a highlight of the day.
Aw I am so happy to hear that, Suzanne! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this the other night and it was wonderful! Restaurant quality!
I am so happy to hear that, Emily! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so amazing! Loved the breadcrumbs as they added a needed texture to the dish. I would love to know how you made your gnocchi look so good though, I’m assuming it’s with a fork? A video of this technique would be awesome!
Hi Hailey! Yes, I did it with a fork, just roll it along the back! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have been wanting to try this recipe for a while. I was feeling slightly lazy tonight so didn’t make homemade gnocchi (used store bought) but wanted to make the mushroom browned butter sauce. It was absolutely delicious. I also added a little whipped ricotta because I couldn’t pass up that taste either. I know I made slight modifications but 10/10. Next time hopefully I am feeling more motivate to make the entire thing!
Yes! So glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Lex! Thank you! xTieghan
Great recipe, thank you.
Question: Do you recommend adding more flour to the dough mixture, if you find it’s way too sticky to roll it out? My dough always falls apart when rolling up.
Please help 🙂
Hey Alex,
Yes you could slowly add flour just be careful not to add to much! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Sehr gute Rezepte, haben schon einiges nachgekocht! Einfach lecker!
Ich bin so glücklich das zu hören! Ich hoffe, Sie genießen weiterhin meine Rezepte! Dankeschön! xTieghan
The flavor was incredible! I was a little nervous to try making gnocchi, but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thank you Maddi! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Sehr tolles Rezept. Mir gefallen die Bilder sehr, wie du deine Gerichte ins Licht stellst. Weiter so!
Ich danke dir sehr! Ich hoffe, Sie genießen weiterhin meinen Blog und meine Rezepte! xTieghan
I never knew how easy it was to make ricotta gnocchi! Mine could use a little bit of work, but definitely yummy. The real winner here was the mushrooms and bread crumbs. My fiancé doesn’t like mushrooms, but he actually enjoyed them when cooked in the brown butter sauce with sage and thyme here!
Hi Katie! YES! So glad you both enjoyed this one and he actually liked the mushrooms haha! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
This was my first attempt at gnocchi and I was pleased with the results. I was careful to follow the recipe exactly and I was reluctant to add too much flour for fear of making the gnocchi “tough”. I found the dough to be really loose and I definitely added more than a cup of flour total. I think next time I would be a little more bold and add more flour. The mushroom-butter-thyme and sage part worked out ver well – needed to add a little extra finishing salt to bring out the flavor. A very hearty meal though!
Thank you so much Shelly! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi! I tried making this last night and my gnocchi started falling apart when boiling. Any ideas on what went wrong? I think I maybe added too much flour and mixed with a stand mixer instead of by hand. Still giving it 5 starts bc I added cooked orzo to the mushroom butter mixture and it was amazing! Looking forward to attempting the gnocchi again!
Hey SB,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I think the additional flour and using the stand mixer could have affected how the gnocchi turned out. Next time try just mixing by hand and only add flour if absolutely necessary. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! This recipe looks like the kind of dish I’d love to have on Sunday 🙂 I’m afraid I can’t find Asiago cheese in my city, how can I substitute it? Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
You can use another cheese that you enjoy:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night (1/2 recipe) and it was wonderful. Each part of it (the topping, gnocchi and sauce) was great. I had some difficulty making the gnocchi as light as everyone else said theirs were, but I think it might have been because my ricotta was very wet and I didn’t drain it first. As a result, I ended up adding more flour and I didn’t give it enough time to rest, perhaps in the refrigerator, before I made the gnocchi. Should I have drained the ricotta in cheesecloth first? Would refrigerating the ball of dough wrapped in plastic have helped to hydrate the flour better? I would love advice! Next time I make it, I will leave some of the sage leaves whole and add them a little before I add the gnocchi to the sauce (the others I will put in, thinly sliced) as I make the sauce. I also might substitute olive oil for some of the butter, and I might chop the garlic in each case (topping and sauce). I would love advice on the gnocchi! I read how many people had pillowy gnocchi, and mine were more like a firmer pillow!
Hi Linda!! Yes, if your ricotta is overly watery I would recommend draining it in either cheesecloth or paper towels to remove the excess moisture. Also, make sure you are using a high quality whole milk ricotta cheese for best results. I don’t think you need to refrigerate the dough. I think draining the ricotta should do the trick!
Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! And Happy Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
This was so good!! I’ve never made gnocchi before and was a little nervous but it was fairly easy and came out delish! The mushrooms, sauce and breadcrumbs were amazing as well. Will definitely be making this again and trying other recipes. Thank you!!
Hey Paige,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I have made this recipe a couple of times very successfully. My husband and our two sons (24&18) practically licked their plates. We all love mushrooms so I used numerous varieties. Delicious !!!!!
Hey Julie,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
My gnocchi was awful. I followed the directions to a tee, and they are a complete soggy mess.
I have loved every half baked harvest recipe I have tried, but this was a horrible flop.
Hey Erin,
So sorry to hear this, let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This looks amazing — that texture looks absolutely perfect and I feel like raspberries don’t get enough dessert love the the summer months.
Hey there,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xTieghan
The recipe sounds amazing! I plan to make a smaller version of it. Should I in this case bake it less time in the oven?
Hey there,
I would still follow the baking time as is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan