This Potato Gnocchi Stuffed with Radicchio and Ricotta is a homemade gnocchi recipe made with a soft potato dough wrapped around a filling of sauteed radicchio, creamy ricotta, Parmesan, and a little nutmeg, then finished in brown butter with crispy sage.

Each one has a tender outside and a warm, slightly bitter, creamy center.

It’s a project for a weekend, a dinner party, or a holiday when you want something special on the table.

If stuffed gnocchi with ricotta sounds like your kind of project, these are worth saving too:

Potato Gnocchi Stuffed with Radicchio and Ricotta

Ingredients You’ll Need

Radicchio has a pleasant bitterness that mellows when you cook it, and the ricotta and Parmesan balance it out. Drain the ricotta well before mixing, because a wet filling leaks out and makes the gnocchi burst when they boil.

Ingredients

2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 large)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 small head radicchio (about 8 oz), cored and finely chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup whole milk ricotta, drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

Set the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or press it gently between paper towels if you’re short on time.
Meanwhile, prick the potatoes and bake them at 400F for 50 to 60 minutes until fully tender.
Dry ricotta and dry potatoes are the two things that make this recipe work.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the shallot for 2 minutes until soft.
Add the chopped radicchio with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until it’s wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar for the last 30 seconds, then spread the radicchio on a plate to cool completely.
Mix the cooled radicchio with the drained ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper.
The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
Chill it for 20 minutes, since cold filling is much easier to wrap.
Scoop the hot potatoes from their skins and press them through a ricer onto a clean surface.
Let the riced potato cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle on the salt, pour over the egg, and scatter 1 1/4 cups flour on top.
Gently bring it together into a soft dough, adding a little more flour only if it’s sticky.
This dough needs to be a touch firmer than plain gnocchi dough so it can hold the filling without tearing.
Roll the dough out on a well-floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut it into 2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, re-rolling the scraps once.
Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each round.
Fold the dough around the filling and pinch the edges to seal it completely.
Roll each one gently between your palms into a smooth ball, dusting with flour if it sticks.
Check carefully for cracks or thin spots (any gap means the filling escapes in the water).
This step is slow and a little fiddly, honestly, so it helps to have someone keep you company at the counter.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil, not a hard rolling boil.
Cook the stuffed gnocchi in batches of 8 to 10 for about 3 to 4 minutes, or about 1 minute after they float.
Lift them out gently with a slotted spoon and set them on a lightly oiled plate.
A hard boil knocks the gnocchi around and can split them open, so keep the heat moderate.
While the gnocchi cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the sage leaves and let the butter foam and turn a nutty golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the cooked gnocchi and swirl the pan gently for 1 minute to coat them in the brown butter.
Serve with crispy sage, walnuts, and extra Parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Drain the ricotta well. Wet ricotta makes the filling loose and leaky. An hour in a strainer, or overnight if you plan ahead, gives you a thick, spoonable filling.
Cook the radicchio dry. Radicchio releases water as it cooks. Keep going until the pan is almost dry, or the extra moisture ends up in your filling.
Chill the filling. Cold filling is firmer and easier to wrap. Warm filling spreads and makes sealing the dough much harder.
Seal every gnocchi tightly. Pinch the seams firmly and roll them smooth. A small crack turns into a big split in boiling water.
Keep the water at a gentle boil. Stuffed gnocchi are more delicate than plain ones. A steady simmer cooks them through without breaking them apart.
Watch the brown butter. Butter goes from golden to burnt quickly. Pull it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty and you see light brown specks.
Swap the radicchio if needed. Spinach, Swiss chard, or kale work well if you can’t find radicchio or want a milder filling. Squeeze the cooked greens dry before mixing.
Freeze them for later. Freeze uncooked stuffed gnocchi on a floured sheet pan, then bag them for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving Serve the stuffed gnocchi hot, right after they come out of the brown butter, in warm shallow bowls. A crisp fennel and orange salad goes nicely with the bitter radicchio. Shave a little Parmesan on top and add a crack of black pepper.

Storing Cooked leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. They’re best reheated gently in a skillet with a little butter over medium-low heat until warmed through. Avoid the microwave, as it can make the dough gummy and the filling leak.

Customizing Add a little crumbled cooked sausage or chopped prosciutto to the filling for a meatier version. Swap the brown butter for a simple tomato sauce if you’d prefer something lighter. Gorgonzola mixed into the ricotta filling pairs really well with radicchio if you like a bolder cheese.