Last updated on January 31st, 2024 at 05:06 pm
Do you love potato gnocchi but don’t have the time to make it? Have leftover sourdough discard that you don’t want to waste? This ricotta gnocchi with sourdough discard is super easy and full of flavour — with just 5 ingredients and no potatoes required! These melt-in-your-mouth pillows of cheesy goodness would be great on their own or as a side dish to any meal.

What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi is a type of pasta originating in Italy that resembles small dough dumplings. Though it is typically made from potatoes, it can also be made from a variety of ingredients such as cheese, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, dried fruit, or vegetables. The gnocchi is usually rolled on a fork or ribbed wooden board which creates small ridges on the pasta for catching sauce. If you are in a hurry you can skip the rolling step but your sourdough discard gnocchi won’t catch the sauce as well.
How to Serve your Gnocchi
In addition to tossing them with a bit of tomato sauce, pasta water and olive oil some of our favourite ways to serve gnocchi are:
- Sage and butter. Melt some butter in a pan being careful not to burn. Add some sage leaves and some of the gnocchi cooking water. Swirl the pan to thicken, season and toss with the gnocchi.
- Peas and morels. Celebrate the start of spring by tossing your sourdough discard ricotta gnocchi with some melted butter, sautéed morels and peas. Make sure to add the peas at the end of cooking to preserve the green colour.
- Leeks and bacon. Sauté the bacon adding your leeks to soften half way through the cooking. Strain some of the fat and add some pasta water to thicken.
- Lemon, garlic and parmesan. Lightly sauce some sliced garlic in butter. add some lemon zest, a few drops of lemon juice and some of the gnocchi water. Swirl the pan to thicken.
- Chestnuts and gorgonzola. Lightly roast some chestnuts in butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add in chunks of gorgonzola. Add some pasta water to prevent the cheese from splitting and whisk the pan to make a velvety smooth sauce.
Prep extra for your freezer
If you want to freeze these gnocchi you can lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and place them into the freezer for 3-4 hours. Once they are firm and won’t risking sticking together you can vacuum seal them or place them in a freezer safe bag.
When you cook the gnocchi make sure not to crowd the pot as the frozen gnocchi will bring down the temperature of your pot.
What You’ll Need
- One large bowl for mixing
- Spatula for mixing
- 1-2 large sheet pans or trays to hold your gnocchi before boiling
- Knife or dough cutter
- Fork or gnocchi board (optional)
- Large pot to boil the gnocchi
- Colander for straining
Ingredients
- 500g ricotta
- 2 egg yolks
- 6g Salt
- 60g pecorino cheese
- 200g all-purpose flour or sifted hard red spring flour
- 100g sourdough discard
- Fine semolina flour for dusting

Instructions
- Strain or hang the ricotta overnight to thicken (recommended but not essential).
- In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta and pecorino and mix with a spatula until combined.
- Mix eggs, flour, sourdough discard and salt into the cheese mixture.
- Roll the dough into logs that are about 2cm / 0.75″ in diameter.
- Cut the tubes into 1-2 inch pieces.
- At this point you can leave gnocchi as is, or for a nicer shape that will catch the sauce roll on a fork or gnocchi board.
- Place on a sheet pan dusted with semolina to prevent then from sticking.
- Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until it starts to float.
- Drain the gnocchi well and toss them in the desired sauce.
Notes
- Depending on where you source your ricotta, it can vary in thickness. Hanging it will ensure that your gnocchi are lighter and hold together while cooking.
- Once you add the flour do not over mix the gnocchi as this will cause them to become tough.
- Ricotta gnocchi can be blanched in boiling water then shocked in ice water so they can be frozen for later. Just remember to drain them well before you freeze them.
- These sourdough discard ricotta gnocchi could be served with any pasta sauce. Tomato sauce, pesto, oil and garlic, braised meats are just a few ideas.
Recipe Card For The Best 30-Minute Sourdough Discard Ricotta Gnocchi:
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The Best 30-Minute Ricotta Gnocchi with Sourdough Discard
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
Sourdough discard ricotta gnocchi is a great way to reduce sourdough waste. These gnocchi are soft, light, full of flavour and extremely versatile in the kitchen. Toss with a light tomato sauce or some extra virgin olive oil and garlic.
Ingredients
- 500g ricotta cheese (hung overnight if possible)
- 2 egg yolks
- 6g salt
- 60g pecorino cheese
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 100g sourdough discard
- Fine semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- Strain or hang the ricotta overnight to thicken (recommended but not essential).
- In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta and pecorino and mix with a spatula until combined.
- Mix eggs, flour, sourdough discard and salt into the cheese mixture.
- Roll the dough into logs that are about 2cm / 0.75″ in diameter.
- Cut the tubes into 1-2 inch pieces.
- At this point you can leave gnocchi as is, or for a nicer shape that will catch the sauce roll on a fork or gnocchi board.
- Place on a sheet pan dusted with semolina to prevent then from sticking.
- Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until it starts to float.
- Drain the gnocchi well and toss them in the desired sauce.
Notes
- Depending on where you source your ricotta, it can vary in thickness. Hanging it will ensure that your gnocchi are lighter and hold together while cooking.
- Once you add the flour do not over mix the gnocchi as this will cause them to become tough.
- Ricotta gnocchi can be blanched in boiling water then shocked in ice water so they can be frozen for later. Just remember to drain them well before you freeze them.
- These sourdough discard ricotta gnocchi could be served with any pasta sauce. Tomato sauce, pesto, oil and garlic, braised meats are just a few ideas.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dairy
- Method: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
If you like this recipe check out our recipe for sourdough discard tempura batter and other sourdough discard recipes.
UNREAL. Everyone who has a starter has to try this recipe. These little gnocchi pillows were just so delicious. I make them all the time now as I go into withdrawal if I don’t have them once a week. And they really are so quick and easy to make! MJD is such a talent and simply a dough genius. Thank you for sharing with us Matthew! So excited to try more of your recipes and for all the recipes to come 🙂.
Hey Maria, so glad you enjoy these! We love making them and have found if we hang the ricotta properly they turn out just so amazing.
You could experiment by adding different herbs to the dough or serving it with different sauces. Thank you for your kind words and continued support, you rock!
My dough seems a bit moist. Dont think I can roll it into a log. Do you rol the logs on a floured surface?
Yes you do. Use a floured surface and move the dough often so it does not stick to the table. If the dough is still too moist you can try adding a bit of flour to the dough.