Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle

Tender on the inside and golden brown on the outside, this ricotta gnocchi à la poêle is a wonderful, protein-full dish, easily dressed up to suit any palate.

I’ve made gnocchi with polenta and with potatoes but the most tender kind of all is made with ricotta, which as a bonus, adds protein that the other two methods do not. 

If you think gnocchi must be boiled, let me introduce you to a method I first learned in France. Anything cooked à la poêle simply means it’s been pan-fried over a reasonably high flame. In other words, it’s been seared in a hot pan to protect the insides from drying out. 

Once the gnocchi are cooked, dress them with your favorite sauce or seasonings. Below I give the method, as per our idol Jacques Pépin, for gnocchi persillade, tossed with a mix of minced flat leaf parsley and fresh garlic. 

I don’t know that he ever made gnocchi persillade but I have made pan-fried frog legs adapted from his recipe, finished with parsley and garlic and they are divine. Perhaps I’ll share that recipe someday! 

Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle

This recipe makes enough to feed five or six people. Since we are not that many, I tried to freeze some in rolls wrapped in cling film but, once thawed, they needed way more flour to make them easy to roll out again and cut into pieces. Next time I will cook them all à la poêle before freezing them. I’m thinking that will work better. I’ll update this post when I do.

Ingredients

For the ricotta gnocchi:

8 ¾ oz or 250g ricotta, with any visible liquid poured off

2 cups or 250g 00 flour plus extra for rolling

1 large egg

For frying: 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the persillade:

2 cloves garlic

Several stems flat leaf parsley, leaves only

For adding the persillade:

1 tablespoon butter, divided

Method

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 cup or 125g of the flour and the egg and stir to combine. 

Knead the dough with your hands, adding flour until you have a smooth elastic dough that is soft but not sticky. You may not use it all. It all depends on the moisture in your ricotta. (For this batch I only used 1½ cups or 188g flour.)

Roll the dough into a ball and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Separate the ball into 8 or so pieces. Working one at a time, roll out on a floured work surface into a long, even roll.

Use a knife to cut the roll into ½ in or 1 cm pieces. 

Press the pieces with a floured fork. 

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the gnocchi being careful not to crowd the pan. I only cooked two rolls for these photos and did it in two batches. 

Pan fry for about three minutes or until browned on the one side. 

Turn and pan fry for an additional 3-5 minutes on the other side. Remove to a plate and continue cooking the rest of the gnocchi in batches. 

Meanwhile, remove the parsley leaves from the stalks and mince the parsley and garlic cloves. 

To make the persillade, mix the minced parsley and garlic together. 

Once all the gnocchi are browned and you are ready to serve, put them all back into the hot pan. Add in the tablespoon of butter, separated into three.

As the butter is melting, add in the persillade aka the parsley garlic mix. 

Stir and pan fry for a few minutes to cook the garlic a bit, wilt the parsley and heat the ricotta gnocchi through. 

Spoon straight on to plates or into a serving dish and serve hot. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 7th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter G. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the G recipes below:

• Cheesy Bacon Grits from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Chunky Garlic Stuffed Olive Deviled Eggs from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Gochujang Garlic Flower from Magical Ingredients
• Gochujang Sugar Cookies from A Messy Kitchen
• Golden Diner Pancakes with Maple Honey Syrup from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Grilled Garlic Honey Boneless Wings from Blogghetti
• Ham, Cheese, and Spinach Packets from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Gluten Free Bread Flour from Sneha’s Recipe
• Kadai Aloo Gobi from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle from Food Lust People Love

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle!

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Lamb Feta Mint Patties

These lamb feta mint patties are fabulous on their own, in a toasted bun or stacked with grilled eggplant, lettuce and tomato for a sandwich with a twist. 

Half of the year we live in the Channel Islands where ground lamb is readily available. It’s still not cheap but then again neither is beef so sometimes we like a change. Depending on your source, lamb is usually very flavorful and juicy with a higher fat content than beef. 

Although I do make a shepherd’s pie on occasion, I tend to make patties out of lamb mince, as it’s called in the UK, because then you do really get to taste the lamb. In a shepherd’s pie, there’s so much else going on as well. In this case, the addition of feta adds moisture and salt but the lamb still shines through. 

Lamb Feta Mint Patties

This recipe is adapted from one on the delicious. magazine Australia website. They made meatballs to add to a tomato salad but I couldn't stop thinking about patties. It was a good decision!

Ingredients

2 lbs or 900g minced lamb

7oz or 200g Greek feta, crumbled

1/2 cup or 35g fresh breadcrumbs

several sprigs fresh mint

2 garlic cloves, crushed then minced

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle olive oil for frying in a non-stick pan

Method

Pick the leaves off of the mint stems and mince them. Discard the stems.

Combine the lamb, feta, bread crumbs, mint leaves, garlic, salt and allspice with a few generous grinds of black pepper in a bowl. 

Divide into 6 portions and form patties. Place on a tray, cover and chill for 20-30 minutes to firm up. (Looks like five but there are indeed six! The front one is a double.)

Heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the patties and fry, turning often, for 7-8 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

As you can see, I served these with some pan-fried slices of eggplant, sliced tomato and lettuce in a stack but you could easily tuck a patty in pita bread or a bun. Condiment of your choice but I can highly recommend a little mayo with chives. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 6th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter F. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the F recipes below.

• Brazilian Feijoada - Black Bean Stew with Beef and Pork from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Eggless Flourless Chocochip Brownies from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Fansi Dapka Nu Shaak from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Feta Potato Swirls from Magical Ingredients
• Fingerlicking Garlic Coconut Chutney from Sneha’s Recipe
• Fortune Cookie Crust from A Messy Kitchen
• Funfetti Pancakes from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Gruyere and Apple Cider Fondue from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lamb Feta Mint Patties from Food Lust People Love
• Lemony Potato & Fennel Rotisserie Chicken Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• One Pan Chicken Fajita Pasta from Blogghetti

 

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin these Lamb Feta Mint Patties!

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Edamame Summer Salad

This edamame summer salad boasts pan-roasted edamame and sweet corn tossed together with tomatoes, cucumber, onion and feta, dressed with a garlic lemon vinaigrette. So fresh and tasty! 

 

It’s been a while since Food Network was one of the channels I could watch on my cable tv list but when I was searching online for recipes with edamame, I came across one by Alton Brown on their website.

It sounded simple enough with edamame, corn and tomatoes but, weirdly for a summery salad, it wanted me to turn the oven on to roast the edamame and corn. Really, Alton? I don’t know where he lives but in the southern United States no one, and I mean no one, would turn their oven on to make a summer salad. 

Because we aren’t crazy. And, yes, I know it’s March right now but it was already 80°F (26.6°C) yesterday so I’m still not turning my oven for this. Most unnecessary! 

I did like the idea of roasting the edamame and corn for a little extra flavor and crunch though so a hot skillet seemed the way to go. And I decided to add even more summer vegetable freshness with cucumber. And carrots and jalapeño and feta. 

This is the best kind of salad, the kind you can eat for days and it just gets better. Nothing that wilts! I've had it for lunch the last few days and I'm going to be sad when it's gone. 

Edamame Summer Salad

I give my amounts for the salad ingredients but know that you can add more or less according to your tastes. Love tomatoes, up the amount. Not such a fan of cucumber, put less. Want to add some basil like Alton does? Knock yourself out. It’ll still be good. 

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette dressing:

1/3 cup or 80ml olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 spring onions, chopped (white part only, save green for salad)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

2 cups or 280g shelled edamame 

1 cup or 140g fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 cucumber

1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups or 210g cherry or grape tomatoes

1 ½ cups or 110g shredded carrots

1 fresh jalapeño - optional

3 ½ oz or 100g feta cheese

Reserved green part of 2 spring onions

Method

Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar or container with a lid. Close the lid and shake well.

In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, sauté the edamame, stirring very frequently, until the edamame is scorched a little in spots. 

Transfer it to a plate to cool. 

Repeat with the corn.

Thinly slice the purple onion. 

Put the onion in a large bowl and pour over three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Finely mince the jalapeño, if using, and add it to the dressing bowl. Press the onion and jalapeño down into the dressing to cover. 

Cut the little tomatoes in half.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the watery seeds with a small spoon. Chop the rest. 

Crumble the feta with the tines of a fork and slice the green part of the spring onion into small pieces. 

Add the edamame and corn to the dressing bowl and toss well. 

Add in the tomatoes, cucumber and carrots. 

Taste and see if you need to add the rest of the vinaigrette. If not, store any unused dressing in the refrigerator for another salad. Garlic lemon vinaigrette is lovely on leafy greens. 

Finally, add in the crumbled feta and toss gently to combine. 

You can add the spring onion greens directly to the top in the bowl and serve or transfer the salad to a serving plate and sprinkle them on. 

Refrigerate any leftovers and enjoy them for several days, if they last that long. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 5th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter E. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the E recipes below:

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Corn and Edamame Salad
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Dim Posto - Bengali Egg Curry
• Blogghetti: Easter Candy Charcuterie Board
• Food Lust People Love: Edamame Summer Salad
• Sneha’s Recipe: Eggless Banana Chocolate Cake
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Baked Beef Empanadas
• A Messy Kitchen: Golden Egg Bread
• Culinary Cam: Mayak Gyeran: A Riff on Korean Marinated Eggs
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Souper Easy Quiche
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Whipped Feta Lemon Zest & Basil Deviled Eggs

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Edamame Summer Salad! 

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Coconut Cream Date Caramel

Thick, rich and naturally sweet, this coconut cream date caramel is made with Medjool dates. This no-cook recipe is fast, easy and accidentally vegan! 

A couple of years back, I bought some dates to make a recipe that only called for a few. I don’t even remember what that was but it must have been worth it or I wouldn’t have bought the whole pack.

The dilemma: What to do with the rest of the dates? This coconut cream date caramel was perfect. Creamy, smooth and not too sickly sweet. Even better, it is vegan so I was able to share it with a friend who can’t eat dairy. 

Coconut Cream Date Caramel

This recipe makes just a little less than 1 pint jar will hold, 1.9 cups or 450ml. The finished caramel weighs 1.23lbs or 560g. Assuming the coconut cream can has been sitting on the shelf for a while without being shaken, the thickest part of the cream will have risen to the top. That’s what you want to measure and use.

Ingredients

15 Medjool dates – about 12 1/2 oz or 355g before pitting

1/4 cup or 60ml unsweetened coconut cream from the top of the can

1/3 cup or 80ml date water from soaking

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or more to taste

Method

Use a sharp knife to cut the dates in half. Remove and discard the pits and any hard bits (adhering fruit stalks) on the stem ends. 

Put the pitted dates in a heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes.

Open the can of coconut cream from the bottom, if possible, and pour off the liquid and save it. 

Measure out 1/4 cup or 60ml of the thick cream. Make up the correct amount, if necessary, by adding a little of the thin cream. You can use the rest in another recipe, like a saucy curry.

Drain the dates, reserving 1/4 cup or 60ml of the soaking water. 

Add the pitted dates to a food processor along with the coconut cream, soaking liquid, vanilla and salt. 

Process until super smooth, scraping down the food processor occasionally. 

Spoon into a clean jar or covered vessel and store in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or longer. Let your nose guide you. 

This is lovely spread on toast, spooned into yogurt or warmed and drizzled over ice cream. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 4th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter D. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the D recipes below:

• Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookies with Dulce de Leche from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Coconut Cream Date Caramel from Food Lust People Love
• Dalithoy, Konkani Style Dal from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Deviled Egg Charcuterie Board from Blogghetti
• Dirty Shirley Cocktails from Jolene’s Recipe Journal 
• Dragon Paneer Roll from Magical Ingredients
• Ricotta Gnudi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Keto Dairy Savory Crepes with Almond Flour from Sneha’s Recipe
• Parmesan & Cheddar Pimento Corn Chip Dip from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice 
• Sesame Dandelion Greens, Siguemchi Namul-Style from Culinary Cam
• Sticky Toffee Swirled Cookies from A Messy Kitchen

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Coconut Cream Date Caramel!

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