Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (2024)

Main Dishes / Gnocchi Carbonara

by Angie

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Gnocchi Carbonara – easy dinner recipe with soft gnocchi, bacon and cheese.

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RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ

I learned how to make Carbonara years ago and it has been been one of our “go to” base recipes for the past few years. It is a super easy meal that comes together quickly. Which means it is a great recipe for when we’re busy but want something comforting and delicious.

This is the regular Spaghetti Carbonara recipe <— that we use most of the time. I also have a Bacon Mushroom Carbonara recipe that we love.

Why You Should Make Gnocchi Carbonara…

  • Great meal in under 30 minutes
  • can be customized by adding mushrooms, removing peas or adding extra bacon

QUICK GLANCE AT INGREDIENTS for Gnocchi Carbonara:

  • gnocchi
  • bacon
  • large eggs, room temperature
  • Parmesan cheese
  • black pepper
  • green peas
  • fresh parsley

(AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)

Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (2)

How to make Gnocchi Carbonara:

  1. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.*
    Cook bacon on stove top over medium heat until crispy.
    Set aside about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease.
    Then chop bacon into bacon bits.

    Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (3)

  2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with half the Parmesan and parsley. Season with pepper. Set aside.
    Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (4)

  3. oil a large pot of salted water.
    Add the gnocchi and bring it back to a boil.
    Cook until the gnocchi are floating on top of the water.
    Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (5)

  4. Drain and Reserve 1 cup of the gnocchi water(DON’T FORGET THIS)**

  5. Pour about 2 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan into a large pot and heat to medium heat.
    Add the cooked gnocchi and toss to coat in the bacon fat.

  6. Turn off the heat and add the egg mixture.

  7. Toss gently to coat the pasta and cook the eggs. Toss in the chopped bacon. Toss in the peas.

  8. Toss everything together and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

  9. If the sauce is too thick, add the pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

  10. Serve with the remaining cheese.

Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade Gnocchi with this recipe?

I haven’t made it with homemade gnocchi but it should work fine.

How to store:

Carbonara is normally the best when eaten after it is made. I don’t normally like to reheat it but you can store leftovers in an air tight container BUT you’ll want to store some reserved pasta water too so that you can add it to the carbonara when reheated.

More great dinner recipes:

Gnocchi Carbonara

Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (7)

Gnocchi Carbonara

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Gnocchi Carbonara - easy dinner recipe with soft gnocchi, bacon and cheese.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces gnocchi
  • 6 strips bacon
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup green peas
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.*
  2. Cook bacon on stove top over medium heat until crispy.
  3. Set aside about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease.
  4. Then chop bacon into bacon bits.
  5. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with half the Parmesan and parsley. Season with pepper. Set aside.
  6. Boil a large pot of salted water.
  7. Add the gnocchi and bring it back to a boil.
  8. Cook until the gnocchi are floating on top of the water.
  9. Drain and Reserve 1 cup of the gnocchi water (DON'T FORGET THIS)**
  10. Pour about 2 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan into a large pot and heat to medium heat.
  11. Add the cooked gnocchi and toss to coat in the bacon fat.
  12. Turn off the heat and add the egg mixture.
  13. Toss gently to coat the pasta and cook the eggs. Toss in the chopped bacon. Toss in the peas.
  14. Toss everything together and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
  15. If the sauce is too thick, add the pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
  16. Serve with the remaining cheese.

Notes

*I find that cutting the bacon into 1 inch pieces helps it cook faster.

**If you forget to save the pasta water before you drain it, have no fear. You can heat 1 cup of water on the stove or in the microwave and stir in ¼ teaspoon corn starch and ¼ teaspoon of salt into the water to create a fake starchy pasta water substitute.

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Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What should not be added to carbonara? ›

What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara? Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.

What is gnocchi carbonara made of? ›

You need just a few simple ingredients to prep a fantastic carbonara: pancetta, garlic, grated cheese, black pepper, and your pasta of choice. My favorite gnocchi comes from DeLallo. It's made in Italy with over 85% potato for traditional flavor and its texture is perfectly light and airy!

How do you stop carbonara scrambling? ›

Using a large mixing bowl and setting it over the boiling pasta water to create a makeshift double boiler helps prevent you from accidentally scrambling the eggs.

What is the golden rule of carbonara? ›

The golden rule to silky carbonara is to whisk your egg whites so that they're completely incorporated with the egg yolks. This will create a smooth, velvety sauce. As like any pasta dish, including carbonara, cook the pasta perfectly al dente so that it's soft but still firm, with some bite.

How unhealthy is pasta carbonara? ›

Creamy sauces like carbonara sauce are usually made from butter, cheese, and heavy cream, all of which pile on the saturated fat and calories. A healthier option would be a lighter sauce such as the olive oil-based one in aglio olio, which is rich in good fat and cooked with fresh ingredients like garlic and chilli.

Why no garlic in carbonara? ›

Because in the traditional recipe there is no garlic, if you add it you will lower quality of a very good food. My personal opinion is that garlic flavour does not fit with the egg nor the guanciale (pork cheek fat) flavour at all.

Do you put raw egg in carbonara? ›

What distinguishes carbonara from other pasta dishes is its technique of combining eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper into a rich, silky sauce. This recipe calls for raw eggs that are gently cooked by the hot sauce. If you prefer, you can use pasteurized eggs instead.

Is gnocchi more unhealthy than pasta? ›

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

Why is gnocchi healthier than pasta? ›

pasta, neither is really the better option. Regular pasta is higher in protein and has small amounts of some nutrients, while gnocchi is lower in calories and carbohydrates. But because gnocchi is smaller and denser, it's likely that you'd end up eating bigger portions than if you were eating regular pasta.

Should carbonara have cream in it? ›

Should carbonara have cream? Typically carbonara sauce is only made of eggs, bacon, parmesan, olive oil, seasoning, and sometimes, vegetables. As for cream, Italians will tell you that is a big no no.

What kind of cheese is good in carbonara? ›

Pecorino Romano: This aged sheep's cheese is always traditionally used in the Roman pastas, and its salty, grassy, earthy flavor is absolutely delicious in carbonara. That said, if Pecorino is unavailable at your local grocery store, you can use Parmesan as a non-traditional substitute.

What thickens carbonara? ›

Equally important is that the fat that melts out of the guanciale is required to thicken the carbonara sauce to make it creamy. Basically, what happens is that when the fat from the guanciale and in the egg yolks is mixed with starchy pasta cooking water, it thickens.

Why shouldn't you put cream in carbonara? ›

Under no circ*mstances should cream be a part of carbonara. While Orr notes that this can create a tasty pasta, it's just not carbonara. It mutes the interplay of all the flavors, and coats the pasta in a clumsier sauce. It is understandable why many people make carbonara with cream.

Why not use cream in carbonara? ›

The reason is that cream isn't used in Italian pasta dishes is that it can be overpowering. In a propper Pasta al Burro you chop up butter and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese put it on the warm pasta then the two melt and create a creamy buttery cheesy sauce.

Should carbonara not have cream in it? ›

Should carbonara have cream? Typically carbonara sauce is only made of eggs, bacon, parmesan, olive oil, seasoning, and sometimes, vegetables. As for cream, Italians will tell you that is a big no no.

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