Gnocchi Carbonara with Bacon Parmesan (Printable)
Pillowy potato gnocchi in a rich, creamy carbonara sauce with crispy bacon and aged Parmesan cheese.
# Ingredient List:
→ Gnocchi
01 - 1.1 lb potato gnocchi, store-bought or homemade
→ Carbonara Sauce
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1 large egg yolk
04 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
06 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Bacon
07 - 5 oz bacon or pancetta, diced
→ Garnish
08 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
09 - Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
02 - Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, grated Parmesan, black pepper, and salt in a bowl until completely smooth. Set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside the bacon, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
04 - Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water according to package instructions, usually until they float to the surface (2–3 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the gnocchi.
05 - Add the drained gnocchi to the skillet with bacon and toss over low heat to coat evenly in the rendered bacon fat.
06 - Remove the skillet from the heat. Quickly pour the egg and Parmesan mixture over the gnocchi, tossing constantly to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed to reach desired consistency.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together into pure silkiness without any heavy cream, just eggs and cheese doing the magic
- Ready in 35 minutes but tastes like something you would wait hours for at a cozy trattoria
02 -
- Take the pan completely off the heat before adding eggs, or you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of silky sauce
- The residual heat from the gnocchi is enough to cook the eggs into that glossy carbonara coating
03 -
- Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the sauce than cold ones straight from the fridge
- Practice this technique on a weekend first, it gets easier with every try