Gnocchi Carbonara with Bacon Parmesan (Printable)

Pillowy gnocchi in a creamy carbonara sauce with crispy bacon and plenty of Parmesan.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
02 - Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, grated Parmesan, black pepper, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crispy, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, leaving rendered fat in skillet.
04 - Add gnocchi to boiling water and cook according to package instructions, usually until they float to surface, 2–3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
05 - Add drained gnocchi to skillet with bacon and toss over low heat to coat in bacon fat.
06 - Remove skillet from heat. Quickly pour egg and Parmesan mixture over gnocchi, tossing constantly to create creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to reach desired consistency.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The way crispy bacon mingles with creamy sauce creates that perfect bite every single time
  • Its ready in under 40 minutes but tastes like something from an Italian restaurant
  • The gnocchi soaks up that carbonara sauce better than any pasta I have ever tried
02 -
  • Never add hot pasta directly to eggs over heat or you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of sauce
  • Work quickly once you remove the pan from the heat, that residual heat is all you need
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the sauce than cold ones straight from the fridge
  • Grate your own Parmesan, it melts into the sauce so much better than anything pre grated

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