Gnocchi Carbonara - Semi Homemade Recipes (2024)

FAQs

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!

Eggs: A common misconception is that traditional Carbonara includes raw eggs in its final dish. The eggs and egg yolks in this dish are used to coat the pasta and give it a slick, almost creamy, texture. Eggs are stirred in at the end of cook time and cook up while being twirled alongside the hot pasta.

Carbonara is almost always served with spaghetti or linguine, but you can use whatever pasta you prefer. For a more unusual take on carbonara, try spinach fettuccine tossed with warm pasta and fresh baby spinach; you'll get a vibrant, beautiful dish with some additional health benefits.

Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano – I like to use a combination of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano. While these two cheeses ARE similar, I strongly recommend you use BOTH (and not sub one for the other), as it adds a layer of complexity to the flavors.

In traditional Italian carbonara, cream is the ingredient that should never be used. Authentic carbonara is made with eggs, hard cheese (like Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano), pancetta or guanciale (cured pork cheek), and black pepper.

Compared to pasta, pizza or other types of food made from refined flour, gnocchi made only with potatoes and water have a lower glycemic index, despite the fact that the primary nutrients are carbs. Therefore, gnocchi can be a healthier option if chosen carefully.

The difference between alfredo and carbonara is that carbonara contains an egg while alfredo sauce does not. Carbonara is usually thinner in consistency than alfredo sauce, using the egg to coat the noodles instead of relying on the cream.

Whatever you use, don't use store bought pre-grated as it won't melt properly in the sauce. Egg yolks and whole eggs – The egg combined with the guanciale fat is what makes the stunning creamy carbonara sauce that the world is obsessed with. There's no need for cream for a creamy sauce!

A sauce of mostly yolks has a richer, silkier, tighter texture than one made with only whole eggs. A mixture of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano delivers that essential Roman flavor without making the pasta taste excessively salty or sharp.

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.

Can I use mozzarella instead of Parmesan for carbonara? ›

My Parmesan cheese clumped up so I would recommend using mozzarella instead and topping/sprinkling with Parmesan instead. I give credit for how easy this is - and it makes a lot, so will feed a family! But flavor was only so-so good for me. I'm glad I tried!

This decadent carbonara uses bacon and cheddar in place of the traditional pancetta and parmesan.

The ingredients are simple—just spaghetti (or another long pasta), and the carbonara is made with pancetta or bacon, eggs, Parmesan, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. The silky carbonara sauce is created when the beaten eggs are tossed with the hot pasta and a little fat from the pancetta or bacon.

What is gnocchi? Gnocchi, pronounced 'n(y)oh-kee' (singular 'gnocco'), are a type of pasta consisting of soft, fat and chewy dumplings, typically paired with ragú, tomato or butter sauce. Traditionally, gnocchi dough is made of semolina or plain wheat flour, egg, and mashed potato.

Parisienne Gnocchi, on the other hand, is not made with potato but rather pâte à choux, which is the same “batter” that is used to make eclairs, gougeres, and profiteroles.

The most important thing is that a carbonara contains only eggs, guanciale (cured pork cheek, non smoked), Pecorino cheese and black pepper, the pasta isn't so important (but don't use penne lisce!). Spaghetti has always been used in my house even if, it must be specified, I am not from Rome.