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This rich and creamy gnocchi carbonara recipe is made with homemade pillowy gnocchi and tossed in an easy carbonara sauce with pancetta.
I'm a big fan of gnocchi - from baked ricotta gnocchi to pumpkin gnocchi with brown butter sauce to sun-dried tomato gnocchi.
But while most times, I call for store-bought, today is about homemade gnocchi. The key to potato gnocchi is using a potato ricer which forces the potatoes into thin, fine threads. This helps make a light and fluffy gnocchi.
However, let's be honest, while gnocchi is great, it is the sauce that puts it over the top. And there isn't much better than carbonara sauce. I love it so much I've found multiple ways to use it, including rigatoni carbonara.
Using the heat of the cooked gnocchi plus hot pasta water to cook the eggs and cheese creates a cream-like sauce, but without the cream! There isn't much better. Plus add in some crispy pancetta and this gnocchi carbonara is hard to top.
Why This Recipe Works
- Homemade gnocchi - Homemade gnocchi is made with fresh ingredients, allowing you to control the quality of the potatoes, flour, and other components. Plus they just taste better!
- Perfect pasta pairing - Gnocchi has a porous texture that allows it to absorb the carbonara sauce effectively.
- Creamy and savory combo - The creamy sauce made from eggs, cheese, and pancetta creates a luxurious and savory taste that complements the gnocchi.
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Ingredient Notes
- Gnocchi - Use the homemade gnocchi recipe for the best texture and flavor.
- Pancetta - Choose high-quality pancetta to provide a smoky and salty element to the dish.
- Garlic - While not traditional, garlic has a distinct and aromatic flavor that can enhance the taste of the sauce.
- Eggs - The eggs play a crucial role in creating the creamy texture of carbonara. Fresh, preferably free-range eggs are recommended.
- Cheese - Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano are the classic cheeses used in this gnocchi carbonara. Both bring a rich, salty flavor to the dish. Grate the cheese just before using for maximum freshness.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe you can swap out some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I use Russet potatoes, Yukon Gold works well too for the gnocchi. But if you don't want to make your own-store bought can work too.
- Pancetta is my go-to for this gnocchi carbonara recipe, but bacon or guanciale are good substitutes.
- I'm a fan of the combination of Parmesan and Pecorino-Romano cheese, but you can use one or the other if you prefer.
- To incorporate more vegetables/flavors into the dish, you can add ingredients like sautéed mushrooms, peas, roasted cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach or herbs like thyme or rosemary. These additions can bring freshness, color, and added nutritional value.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Peel the potatoes then pass through a potato ricer or mash.
Mix the flour and salt and make a well in the middle on a flat surface. Add the potatoes and egg and mix together with your fingers. Form into a flat circle and cut into 6 equal pieces.
Roll the dough into a long skinny rope that is 1" thick and cut into 1" wide gnocchi. Transfer to a baking sheet covered in flour so they don't stick. Once done cook the pancetta and garlic in a large skillet until done and set aside.
Now make the carbonara sauce by whisking together the eggs until there are no lumps and add the cheese. Boil the gnocchi until they float, but reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Add the gnocchi to the same skillet you cooked the pancetta and brown for 3 minutes per side. Now add ¼ cup of the hot reserved pasta water to the egg mixture and whisk.
Working quickly, add the gnocchi to the bowl with the egg mixture, and gently. Add remaining pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Stir in pancetta and garlic and serve the gnocchi carbonara immediately.
FAQs
At its core, carbonara is made from egg, hard sharp cheese, pepper, and guanciale – a cured pork. The egg is cooked from the heat of the pasta and pasta water, which turns it into a sauce.
This gnocchi carbonara replaces the more traditional spaghetti with gnocchi.
Yes. Store-bought gnocchi will work just fine for this gnocchi carbonara if you don't want to take the time to make your own. However, after trying homemade gnocchi, you'll never go back to store-bought.
There are a few keys to avoid scrambled eggs. First you need to make sure the eggs are room temperature and you whisk them until completely incorporated.
You can either toss in the eggs to the cooked gnocchi off heat or add the hot gnocchi to a bowl of beaten eggs. I prefer option 2 as there are less potential issues of scrambling your eggs.
The key is to work fast when tossing gnocchi and add a little bit of warm pasta water at a time to help thicken the sauce. And before you know it you have gnocchi carbonara.
Yes, you can make a vegetarian version. Simply omit the pancetta and consider adding sautéed mushrooms or other vegetables to enhance the flavors and provide a meaty texture.
Yes. Once it is cut and placed on a baking sheet, just put in the freezer for an hour before transferring to a bag. When you are ready to cook, it will take slightly longer to float but will still be ready quickly.
My preferred method is placing the leftover gnocchi in a skillet with a splash of water or cream. Cook on medium-low until heated through.
With this dish, avoid using the microwave as it can cause the sauce to separate.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the gnocchi carbonara turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Potato Ricer - They key to getting light and fluffy gnocchi.
- Skillet/Dutch Oven - You want something large enough to cook the pancetta, sauce and gnocchi.
- Spoon - You want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Cheese Grater - I mentioned multiple time but use a cheese block and grate yourself.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Add just enough flour. Let me be clear. While most times, you need 1 cup of flour for this recipe, there are times you need slightly more or slightly less. Use your hands to mix in the flour until just incorporated and where the dough forms a loaf. It should be a soft dough.
- Don’t overmix. Just like anything with flour, if your overmix or knead too much, you’ll get a tougher gnocchi. It won’t be soft and pillowy. You want to mix until it just comes together.
- Don’t make them perfect. Gnocchi doesn’t have to be perfect shapes or have ridges. Mine never look exactly the same but they taste great! Also you can skip the ridges. It’s time consuming and not worth the effort.
- Sprinkle with flour when cutting and transporting. Gnocchi can get sticky if there isn’t flour sprinkled on it. As I’m rolling out the dough to cut and then cut into gnocchi and then transfer to a sheet, I sprinkle with flour to make sure it doesn’t stick. Learn from me as I didn’t do this in the past.
- Boil until they float. When cooking gnocchi, boil it until they float and then remove and add to a sauce.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
- Add hot gnocchi immediately. You need to stir the hot gnocchi immediately into the egg mixture to help cook them. If they still aren't completely creamy, add back to the pot, but don't put it over heat.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this gnocchi carbonara recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Gnocchi Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 lb russet potatoes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lb diced pancetta
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot of cool salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and peel the potatoes. Then pass through a potato ricer.
- Mix the flour and salt together then place on a clean/flat surface and make a well in the middle. Add the potatoes and egg, mixing together with your fingers to form a soft dough. It shouldn't stick to your fingers.
- Add some more flour to the surface. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll and stretch the dough until it forms a long skinny rope, about 1" thick. Cut about 1" wide gnocchi and then transfer to a baking sheet, making sure each gnocchi is covered in flour so they don't stick to each other.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it is crisp. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and save any of the fat for the gnocchi.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until there are no lumps and then add the cheese. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float, which should be about 3-4 minutes. Drain and reserve about ¼ cup pasta water.
- With the same non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add the gnocchi in a single layer. Cook for about 3 minutes until golden brown on bottom. Turn gnocchi and cook for an additional 3 minutes until golden brown.
- Add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to the egg mixture and mix to combine.
- Working quickly, add the gnocchi to the bowl with the egg mixture, and gently toss. Add remaining pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Stir in pancetta and garlic and serve immediately.
Notes
- Add just enough flour. Let me be clear. While most times, you need 1 cup of flour for this recipe, there are times you need slightly more or slightly less. Use your hands to mix in the flour until just incorporated and where the dough forms a loaf. It should be a soft dough.
- Don’t overmix. Just like anything with flour, if your overmix or knead too much, you’ll get a tougher gnocchi. It won’t be soft and pillowy. You want to mix until it just comes together.
- Don’t make them perfect. Gnocchi doesn’t have to be perfect shapes or have ridges. Mine never look exactly the same but they taste great! Also you can skip the ridges. It’s time consuming and not worth the effort.
- Sprinkle with flour when cutting and transporting. Gnocchi can get sticky if there isn’t flour sprinkled on it. As I’m rolling out the dough to cut and then cut into gnocchi and then transfer to a sheet, I sprinkle with flour to make sure it doesn’t stick. Learn from me as I didn’t do this in the past.
- Boil until they float. When cooking gnocchi, boil it until they float and then remove and add to a sauce.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
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