Gnocchi Carbonara with Shortcut Gnocchi

Do you need to clean and declutter your house but lack motivation to tackle this terrible task?

Well do I ever have a solution for you!

First, get all the episodes of Hoarders. (Netflix has them all.) Then watch an episode, freak the heck out and go start purging your house. Once your motivation and energy slow down, sit your butt on the couch and watch another episode.

This has gotten me through a whole week of intense declutterling. I have one more week to go, a room to paint and another season to watch and I’m done.

So recipe posting is a little slow now, but I should be back in full swing the week of the 13th when summer school begins.

By the way, if you’re local and need kitchen stuff galore please come to my kitchen prop yard sale Sunday from 10am-1pm. If nothing else so you can shake your head at all the items that were photographed once and set aside into food prop storage loneliness.

Gnocchi Carbonara
Printer Version (with shortcut gnocchi recipe)
The eggs for this carbonara are in the gnocchi instead of the sauce. If you’re looking for a gnocchi recipe, here’s my favorite super shortcut potato flake one.

1 recipe shortcut, homemade or 2 boxes store bought gnocchi
5 strips cold bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated preferred)
More Salt & pepper to taste

1. Prep the gnocchi and set aside. Slice the bacon into thin strips. Freezing the bacon helps if it doesn’t cut well. Slice the onions into thin rings.

2. For the gnocchi, heat water with a good dash of salt in a large pot. Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium high and add the bacon. Cook until crisp. Turn off heat and move bacon to a paper towel lined plate leaving a little bit of the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the butter and oil and heat over medium high until butter is melted.

3. Add the onion and sauté until softened and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced by about a third. Stir in nutmeg.

4. Cook the gnocchi to package or other directions. With a slotted spoon, move gnocchi to a serving bowl. Top with sauce, frozen peas, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.