Gnocchi Carbonara

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Gnocchi Carbonara is a super easy and comforting dish that uses fluffy and pillowy gnocchi tossed with a classic carbonara sauce. It's rich, salty, creamy and so delicious!

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Total Time13

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: - 3 servings

Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

1.1 lbs gnocchi (500g)
2 medium egg yolks
½ cup Pecorino Romano finely grated (30g) Parmigiano Reggiano can also be used
½ cup Guanciale (100g) good quality pancetta can also be used
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp reserved pasta water

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Fry the guanciale (1/2 cup/100g) in a large skillet or frying pan until golden and crispy. Once crispy, turn off the heat and add the gnocchi (1.1 lbs/500g) to the boiling water.
Meanwhile mix the egg yolks (2 medium), pecorino cheese (½ cup/30g) and black pepper (1/2 tsp) in a small bowl. It should be a thick paste consistency.
Add a splash of reserved pasta water (2-3 tbsp) to the egg yolk mixture and mix to loosen and emulsify it.
Once the gnocchi are floating on top of the water remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the guanciale. Toss to coat in the fat.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and toss with the gnocchi until thoroughly coated and thickened slightly.
Serve immediately in bowls with more black pepper and grating of cheese.

Video

Notes

Trim the guanciale - if your guanciale or pancetta comes in a block make sure to trim off the dark seasoned skin or it'll give your sauce a really gritty texture.
Don't drain the fat - whatever you do DO NOT drain any of the fat from the pan after frying. That's what gives carbonara its incredible flavour!
Beware of seasoning - if you use good quality guanciale or pancetta that comes in block it will be already well seasoned so do not add any additional salt. If you use bacon or pre-cubed pancetta with hardly any fat you will probably need to add salt to season it. Taste a piece once it's fried to judge how salty it is.
Adding the eggs - make sure to turn the skillet off of the heat, add the gnocchi, toss them in the fat and THEN add the egg yolk mixture. That way the skillet isn't too hot so it'll gently cook the eggs instead of scrambling them.
Serving sizes - because gnocchi is denser it weighs more than pasta. Where 1.1 lbs or 500g of pasta is more than enough to serve 4 people I find that it's only enough to serve 2-3 decent sized portions of gnocchi. To serve 4 people as a main course I recommend doubling the recipe.
Leftovers and storage - carbonara isn't a sauce that keeps well. This is best served immediately as it can't be reheated or frozen.

Nutrition