This cottage cheese gnocchi delivers a soft, pillowy texture with more than 15 grams of protein per serving. Serve with your favorite sauce for an easy homemade gnocchi that everyone will love!
Over the years of testing lighter, protein forwards twists on classic comfort foods, this cottage cheese gnocchi has become one of my favorite success stories. With just five simple ingredients, all easy to find, it delivers the soft, fluffy texture you expect from traditional gnocchi but with over 15 grams of protein per serving.
The cottage cheese adds richness while keeping the dish balanced and nourishing, creating a lighter version that still feels completely satisfying.
This recipe is endlessly versatile. Pair it with marinara, pesto, or a rich brown butter sauce and you'll have a restaurant quality meal made with ingredients you can actually pronounce.
reasons you'll love cottage cheese gnocchi
- Minimal Ingredients - Just 5 simple ingredients that are easy to find!
- High Protein - Each serving has more than 15 grams of protein to keep your body fueled and satisfied.
- Versatile - Pairs perfectly with any sauce so the options are endless.
Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Gnocchi
- Cottage Cheese: full fat cottage cheese is recommended. Stir it really well before measuring it out.
- Egg Yolks: the egg yolk only is used in this recipe. It is important to skip the egg white to get the correct texture.
- All Purpose Flour: all purpose gluten free flour also works.
- Parmesan Cheese: finely grated parmesan, not grated.
- Salt: does this even count as an ingredient?
How to make Cottage Cheese Gnocchi
- Whip the cottage cheese in the food processor until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the flour, egg yolks and salt. Pulse until a sticky dough forms.
- Turn out the dough on a floured surface and lightly knead. Roll into ropes about ¾ inch thick. Cut into small pieces.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minuts until it floats. Drain the gnocchi and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or butter to the skillet. Sauté the gnocchi until golden and lightly crisp. Serve warm with your favorite sauce.
Substitutions and Suggestions: This is a recipe with very few ingredients. I do not recommend making any substitutes or changes to this recipe.
Storage and Reheating
- Leftover gnocchi keeps best if separate from the sauce. If you are able store the gnocchi without sauce in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
- To reheat, warm them in a skillet or air fryer over medium heat until warmed through and crisp again.
- To freeze cook the gnocchi completely and allow to cool. Freeze on a baking sheet and transfer to a freezer bag and store it up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a hot skillet with oil.
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Cottage Cheese Gnocchi
Video
Ingredients
Cottage Cheese Gnocchi
- 1 ½ cup full fat cottage cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup all purpose flour , gluten free all purpose flour will also work
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup salt
Brown Butter Sage Sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 5-7 fresh sage leaves
- Parmesan to taste
Instructions
- Start by whipping the cottage cheese in a food processor for one minute. The cottage cheese will be light and fluffy (watch the video or view the photos above.)
- Add the egg yolk, flour, parmesan and salt to the processor. Pulse the mixture several times until completely combined. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend again.
- Once a sticky dough has formed, turn the mixture out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle more flour over the top of the dough. Knead the dough a few times and roll out into ¾ inch ropes (depending on how large your workspace is you may need to do 3-4 ropes.)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes, until the gnocchi is floating. Once all the gnocchi is floating carefully drain it and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the gnocchi, stirring occasionally, until browned.
For the Brown Butter Sage
- When the gnocchi is golden brown remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. If you feel your pan is especially hot remove it from the heat entirely for a few minutes. If your pan is too warm the butter will burn instead of brown. Once the skillet has cooled add the butter to the skillet and allow it to melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown.
- Once the butter has browned and is fragrant add the sage to the skillet. Tilt back and forth so the leaves get crisp.
- Add the gnocchi to the skillet, toss to coat. Add parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
Tips:
- Servings 4
- Calories: 125, Total fat: 13g, Carbs: 0.7, Protein 2 grams
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
