These Cottage Cheese Gnudi are a fun twist on the Italian classic—pillowy, protein-packed, and surprisingly easy to make. Vegetarian and high protein!
Cottage cheese gnudi are soft, pillowy dumplings—like the rustic cousin of gnocchi—made with cottage cheese instead of the traditional ricotta for extra protein. “Gnudi” means “nude” in Italian, referring to how these are essentially ravioli filling without the pasta.
Cottage Cheese Gnudi
Traditionally made with ricotta, gnudi are soft, delicate dumplings that taste like the inside of ravioli, minus the pasta. In this version, I use cottage cheese for a high-protein, budget-friendly swap that still delivers on flavor and texture. The dumplings are gently simmered until tender, then tossed with your favorite sauce.
I went with marinara, but they’re just as good with brown butter and sage or a simple drizzle of olive oil. Serve them as a vegetarian main or a hearty side with your go-to protein.
Why This Recipe Works
If you’ve been around for a while, you know how much I love using cottage cheese to add protein to my recipes, like my cottage cheese bagels, cottage cheese lasagna, and cottage cheese frittata. Swapping ricotta for cottage cheese
worked out so well in this gnudi recipe that I didn’t tell Tommy at first. Luckily, he loved them, even after I told him.
- High-Protein: Compared to ricotta, cottage cheese offers more protein and is often more affordable without compromising on its creamy, melt-in- your-mouth texture.
- Simple Ingredients: With just a few pantry staples, you get a dish that feels fancy but is easy enough for a weeknight.
- Versatile & Meal-Prep Friendly: These gnudi pair well with a variety of sauces, reheat beautifully, and can even be frozen for later.
- Kid-Approved Comfort Food: Soft, cheesy, and sauce-friendly—my kids loved them (and yours might, too!).
- Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, vegetarian, gluten-free (if using GF flour), high-protein
What is the difference between gnudi and gnocchi?
Gnocchi are soft dumplings made from potatoes, eggs, and flour. The gnocchi dough is formed into a rope and then cut into one-inch pieces. I have several versions on my site, including classic potato gnocchi with chicken in a roasted red pepper sauce, zucchini gnocchi, and cauliflower gnocchi.
Traditional gnudi, which translates to “naked” in Italian, mimics the filling of cheese ravioli. It’s usually made with ricotta cheese and flour, but I love how it turned out with cottage cheese for a protein boost.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all the cottage cheese gnudi ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- 2% Cottage Cheese: Good Culture is my favorite brand. Draining it well will improve the consistency, ensuring the dough doesn’t fall apart while cooking.
- Parmesan Cheese adds a nutty flavor.
- Egg Yolk binds the mixture.
- Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning
- Nutmeg: Just a pinch adds complexity.
- All-Purpose Flour combines with the cottage cheese to form the dough.
- Sauce: Use my homemade marinara recipe, or buy your favorite jarred sauce.
- Garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Gnudi
Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to make this easy cottage cheese gnudi recipe at home. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Make the Gnudi Dough: Blend the cottage cheese in a small food processor or blender until smooth, so that it resembles the smoothness of ricotta. Transfer it to a bowl and stir in the parmesan, egg yolk, salt,
pepper, and nutmeg. Mix in ¾ cup of flour. The dough will be sticky, but if it’s not holding together, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. - Form the Gnudi: Coat your hands with flour before forming about 36 small gnudi. Place them on a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet (or line it with parchment paper). When finished, refrigerate the tray for 30 minutes (Chilling them will help them hold their shape so they don’t fall apart in the
water.) - While the gnudi chill, prepare the marinara (or heat the jarred sauce on the stove) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the gnudi in the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes until they float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnudi from the water and add them to the sauce.
Variations
- Cheese: Swap parmesan with Pecorino Romano.
- Ricotta: You can, of course, replace cottage cheese with ricotta. If you do, skip the blender step.
- Gluten-free Gnudi: Substitute AP flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour, like Cup4Cup.
What’s the best sauce for cottage cheese gnudi?
Any pasta sauce—not just marinara—would work. Here are some of my favorites:
Serving Suggestions
- Keep It Simple: Pair this high-protein gnudi with a green salad and a good piece of crusty bread for a hearty vegetarian meal.
- Boost the Protein: Add diced chicken breasts or shrimp to the marinara to make it even more filling. This recipe calls for plenty of sauce, so you’ll have extra to coat the protein. However, if you are eating the gnudi by itself, you can make less sauce.
- As a Side Dish: Serve these Air Fryer Pork Chops or Broiled Tilapia Fillets as the main course with the gnudi on the side.
Meal Prep Tips
- Make Ahead: Cover the tray and refrigerate up to 24 hours before cooking.
- How to Freeze Raw Gnudi: Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and flash freeze. Once frozen, transfer the gnudi to an airtight container or zip-locked bag and freeze for 3 months. To cook, boil the frozen gnudi for an extra minute.
Storage
- Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 4 days. Warm in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave.
- How to Freeze Cooked Gnudi: Freeze the gnudi and sauce in individual- serving containers for 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas using cottage cheese, check out these five delicious cottage cheese recipes to inspire your next meal!
If you make this healthy cottage cheese gnudi recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook! And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 9 gnudi plus sauce
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Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
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Add the cottage cheese to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until smooth. Transfer the blended cottage cheese to a mixing bowl. Add the parmesan cheese, egg yolk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the bowl and stir to combine. Add in 3/4 cup flour and use a rubber spatula to mix it until it just comes together into a ball. If its not holding together, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be sticky.
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Lightly flour your hands and make about 36 rustic, quarter sized balls, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you finish rolling them. When your hands get sticky, just coat them with some more flour before continuing. Once you finish with all the dough, place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes, while you make the sauce. If using jarred sauce, heat the over low heat to a simmer and cover. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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Once the water is boiling, add the Gnudi to the pot. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until they float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the Gnudi to the pot with the sauce. Stir to coat the Gnudi in the sauce.
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To serve, divide the Gnudi and sauce in four bowls and top with basil and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Last Step:
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**If you want a spicier version of the sauce, add some crushed red pepper flakes. **This is very saucy, which I kind of like it if you’re pairing the Gnudi with a protein because you have some extra sauce for that, but totally up to you if you want to use less.
Serving: 9 gnudi plus sauce, Calories: 290.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 18 g, Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 3.5 g, Cholesterol: 66 mg, Sodium: 815 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 11 g
