April 6th is National Carbonara Day, a creamy pasta dish beloved both here, in Italy, and anywhere else where a creamy Parmesan/Pecorino sauce can be made.

This recipe, created by from Plays Well With Butter, was shared with us by DeLallo, a great source for the finest Italian products—and recipes.

Instead of the spaghetti used in the classic recipe, pillowy potato gnocchi dumplings add texture and flavor, tossed with crispy pancetta, garlic, and a sauce of grated Parmesan and egg yolks.

It comes together in just 20 minutes.Finish with lemon zest and chives for a quick and cozy carbonara dinner.

If you like this recipe as much as we do, remember that the 29th of every month is Gnocchi Day in Argentina—a good reason to keep making it.

> The classic Carbonara recipe and with more carbonara recipes.

> The history of Spaghetti Carbonara.

> The history of gnocchi.

> The history of pasta.

> The different types of pasta: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 20 pasta holidays

> Wine pairings with carbonara are below.
 
 
RECIPE: GNOCCHI CARBONARA

You can substitute any shape of pasta here, but the best are the more substantial shapes: the corkscrew shapes (cavatappi, fusilli, gemelli, rotini), bell shapes (campanelle, gigli,trompetti) and generally fun shapes like ruote (wagon wheels) and recchiette (little ears).

Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 10 minutes.

If you don’t have both Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses, use the one you have.

While Pecorino Romano is the traditional cheese for Spaghetti Carbonara, some prefer use a blend of Pecorino and Parmesan to balance the flavors.

Pecorino has a sharp, salty tang, while Parmesan adding a less salty, nuttier flavor.

> The different Italian grating cheeses.
 
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation
 
Jess Larson of @PlaysWellWithButter, the author of the recipe, wants you to read through the entire recipe before you begin to cook.

“Carbonara is a time-sensitive dish that comes together quickly once all the components are ready,” she says. “It’s helpful to already have a sense of the process once you begin cooking.”

So measure, chop, and otherwise prepare the ingredients. Then:

1. BRING a large pot of water to a boil. Generously season the boiling water with salt.

2. RENDER* the pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pancetta becomes golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped garlic.

3. COOK, stirring constantly to prevent burning, for 1 minute more, until the garlic is slightly softened and very fragrant. Remove from the heat immediately and set the skillet aside.

4. PREPARE the carbonara sauce egg mixture: Add the egg yolks and grated cheeses to a large mixing bowl. Generously season with freshly cracked black pepper and whisk to combine. The mixture will be thick. Set aside.

5. BOIL the gnocchi. Use your hands to break apart the individual pieces as needed before adding to the pot. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the gnocchi float to the top of the pot. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy water, then drain the gnocchi.

6. TRANSFER the cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the rendered pancetta and garlic. While whisking constantly, pour about ¼ cup of the reserved starchy water into the carbonara sauce egg mixture. The hot water should loosen the egg mixture and begin to melt the cheeses.

7. TRANSFER the egg mixture to the skillet with the gnocchi, tossing well to combine. Return the skillet to medium-low heat. Continue to stir and toss, adding additional starchy water little by little, until the gnocchi carbonara sauce is glossy and coats the dumplings well.

8. FINISH the dish by tossing in the lemon zest. Remove from the heat.

9. TO SERVE: Divide the gnocchi into two pasta bowls. Top with extra grated cheese, finely chopped chives, ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil as desired. Serve immediately.
 
 
WINE PAIRINGS WITH CARBONARA

Italy offers excellent red and white options. You want a wine with good acidity to cut through the richness of the sauce.

 
 

[8] While it may seem unusual to some, a bit of lemon zest brings exciting flavor to the dish (photo © Microplane).

[1] Gnocchi Carbonara (photos #1, #2, #5 © DeLallo).

[2] Start with a pound of potato gnocchi.

[3] We can buy pre-diced pancetta, saving time (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[4] Chopped garlic (photo © RDNE Stock Project | Pexels).

[5] You can save time and effort by purchasing garlic that’s already finely chopped (photos #5, #6 and #7 created with ChatGPT 2025-04-06).

[6] Egg yolks combine with grated cheese to create the rich sauce.

[7] Pecorino Romano on the left and Parmigiano Reggiano on the right. Trivia: The traditional black coating on Pecorino Romano is a food-safe “paint,” often a mixture of clay, grapeseed oil, and carbon black (a powder), used to differentiate it from other cheeses. Scrape it off before using the rind (e.g. to flavor soups and stews), as it can impart a black color.

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[1] Salted rosemary caramel sauce, served with shortbread for dipping. The caramel recipe is below (photos #1, #3, © King Arthur Baking).

[2] To make the caramel, start with granulated sugar (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Boiled cider goes into the caramel sauce to add deeper, more complex flavor than traditional caramel. Here’s how to use it at every meal (photo © Cheese And Wine Traders).

[4] Heavy cream goes into the pan (photo © Dairy Farmers Of Wisconsin).

[5] A few tablespoons of butter (photo © DeLaurenti).

[6] A bit of salt (photo generated by ChatGPT 2025-04-25).

[7] And finally, fragrant fresh rosemary. See other uses for it in the footnote* below (photo © Burpee).

[8] Cheesecake with caramel sauce: an easy road to glamour.

[9] A classic caramel sundae (photo © National Honey Board).

[10] Breakfast or dessert: pancakes topped with toasted nuts and caramel sauce (photo © Umami Information Center).

[11] A plain nut torte gets the glam treatment with toasted nuts and honey.

[12] This is so easy to put together from store-bought brownies, ice cream, caramel sauce, and rolled wafer cookies (photo © Kobby Mendez | Unsplash).

We stayed home and made caramel sauce today, because April 5th is National Caramel Day. We could have made caramel candy, but having made salted caramelsfor so many years, we decided to get with the trend and make salted caramel sauce.

The caramel sauce recipe below, from King Arthur Baking, adds another layer of flavor with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Caramel sauce is just about the easiest thing you can make. It will be ready to eat in 10 minutes. Give it a bit of time to cool down if you want to pour it over ice cream.

> Otherwise, check out all the uses for caramel sauce below.

Caramel sauce is made from the same ingredients as caramel candy. The best recipes are simply cream, butter, sugar, and flavoring such as vanilla—although cayenne, coffee, lavender, maple, and pretty much anything you feel like can be used.

Salt can be added to make salted caramel sauce; chocolate can be added to make chocolate caramel.

At room temperature, a good sauce will be almost as thick as caramel candy, and can be eaten from the jar as “spoon candy.” We often enjoy it that way.

Caramel sauce (as opposed to caramel syrup) thickens at room temperature and needs to be heated to become pourable.

We’ll get to the recipe in a minute, but first:

> More uses for caramel sauce, below.

> The different types of dessert sauces: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 15 caramel, butterscotch, and toffee holidays, below

> The history of caramel.

> More uses for fresh rosemary, below.
 
 
RECIPE: SALTED ROSEMARY CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all the ingredients in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. The syrup will bubble up during cooking, so use a pan that holds at least 1 quart. Stir briefly to combine.

2. PLACE the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. From this point on, swirl the pan instead of stirring; this will help prevent crystals from forming and making the sauce grainy.

3. CONTINUE to cook over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 230°F when measured with a digital or candy thermometer. Watch carefully—do not walk away—while the caramel is simmering: It can quickly climb in temperature near the end of the cooking process.

4. REMOVE the pan from the heat. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes before straining it into a heatproof container to remove the rosemary. Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin; it will thicken as it cools.

You are now ready to enjoy a spoonful, and to use the sauce as we’ve demonstrated in the photos—just for starters.

Store caramel in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can remain for many weeks. Reheat briefly before serving.
 
 
USES FOR CARAMEL SAUCE

Caramel sauce is incredibly versatile! Here are some delicious ways to use it:
 
Caramel For Dessert

 
Caramel At Breakfast

 
Caramel Beverages

 
Caramel Snacks

 
Caramel & Cheese

As a cheese condiment, pair caramel with:

 
 
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CARAMEL SAUCE, BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE, TOFFEE SAUCE & DULCE DE LECHE

These dessert sauces are similar and usually interchangeable, but have distinct differences in ingredients and flavor profiles:

Caramel Sauces

 
Butterscotch Sauce

 
And despite its name, butterscotch contains no Scotch whisky. The name derives from “scotched” (scorched) butter.
 
Toffee Sauce

 
Dulce de Leche Sauce

 
The key difference between dulce de leche and cajeta is the type of milk used. The former is made with cow’s milk and the latter is made with goat’s milk.
 
 
15 CARAMEL, BUTTERSCOTCH & TOFFEE HOLIDAYS

 
________________
 
*More uses for fresh rosemary: Beyond its primary use as a seasoning for meat, poultry, and seafood; in vegetable and grain dishes and stuffing; in breads, crackers; and on eggs and pizza; and as a popcorn seasoning; there’s a wealth of opportunity to use this lovely herb.
> Infuse into honey, olive oil, salt, sugar, vinegar.
> Add to cold drinks: herb water and plain sparkling water, lemonade, limeade.
> Add to condiments: dips, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard.
> Make tea herbal tea or syrup.
> Use as skewers.
> Make compound butter and pesto.
> Add to sweet baked goods, including cookies, muffins, and olive oil cake.
> Add to homemade jams and jellies.
> Make herb ice cubes for cocktails, soft drinks, and juices.
> You can also freeze the sprigs for future use.
 
*Gjetost is a Norwegian cheese also known as Brunost, some people do not believe upon tasting it that Gjetost is a cheese. It tastes just like caramel—but with the consistency of Cheddar.
 
 

[13] Since you’ve gotten all the way to the end, treat yourself to a little snack (photo © Eclat Chocolate).

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Why is it that we only think of baking macaroons around Passover?

This cookie, composed of coconut and egg whites, was created by Italian Jews for the eight days of Passover, because it has no flour or leavening (which cannot be eaten during the observance). The recipe was introduced to other European Jews and became popular as a year-round sweet.

The recipe takes only 35 minutes from start to finish. Bake them now and store them in an airtight tin. They also freeze well.

And they’re gluten-free!

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays

> The history of macaroons.

> The history of cookies.

> The 11 basic cookie categories.

> The different types of cookies: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA MACAROONS

Thanks to Taste Of Home for this recipe, which was developed by Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon and tested by Taste of Home Test Kitchen.

Prep time is 20 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes. We recommend making a double batch, because these little bites will disappear quickly.

Our personal indulgence is to use fine baking chips or chocolate bars rather than packaged chocolate chips; although we do use Guittard chips regularly.

 
Ingredients For 18 Cookies

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients. Then stir in the egg whites, corn syrup, and vanilla and blend well.

2. DROP the dough by the tablespoonful onto greased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies areset and dry to the touch, 15-20 minutes.

3. COOL in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

4. DIP half of each cookie into melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper and let stand until set.

Coconut macaroons will last up to 1 week stored in an airtight container. You can freeze them for up to 3 months by placing them in layers separated by parchment or wax paper.
 
 
BAKING WITH NATURAL VS. DUTCHED (DUTCH PROCESS) COCOA POWDER

There are two basic types of cocoa powder, natural, which is untreated, and Dutched, which is treated with alkalai (photo #3).

Dutched chocolate, or Dutch process chocolate, is a deeper brown color, which leads most people to think that it is richer and has more chocolate flavor.

However, the alkali added to Dutched cocoa changes the pH of the cocoa to make it milder in flavor than natural cocoa, not deeper.

In 1828, Coenrad Johannes van Houten, the same engineer who developed the hydraulic press that created cocoa powder by crushing the nibs to separate the fat (cocoa butter), developed the process of treating the nibs with alkaline salts (alkali)* to neutralize the acidity and bitterness prior to crushing.

Van Houten was Dutch, so the process became known as Dutch process, or Dutching.
 
 
Are They Interchangeable?

You should not substitute these two types of cocoas in baking when a recipe specifically calls for one type. While both will make a nice cup of cocoa, the leavening in a recipe will vary because of the differing acidities.

Recipes that specify the type of cocoa powder are have been designed for that type. Using the wrong type can affect the rise and texture of the baked good.

It the recipe is not specific, like the one above, you can use either. It doesn’t matter in the macaroon recipe, because there is no leavening (baking soda, baking powder) to react with the acidity.
 
 
HERE’S A COMPARISON OF BOTH TYPES

Natural Cocoa Powder

 
Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

 
> Here’s more about cocoa powder production.

[1] Chocolate macaroons, dipped in chocolate. The recipe is below (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Don’t use old coconut that’s been lying around. You need recently-shredded coconut that’s still moist (photo © Gourmet Food World).

[3] Should you use natural or Dutched cocoa powder? See the discussion below (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[4] Coconut macaroons typically don’t contain nuts. Along with the cocoa, macadamia nuts add a special touch. If you prefer, you can substitute almonds (photo © iStock Photo).

[5] If you’re melting chocolate chips for dipping, use a top brand like Callebaut or Guittard (photo © Cocoa Dolce).

[6] Many macaroons are prepared without any chocolate garnish, but we’re definitely in the “dip it in chocolate” camp (photo © McCormick).

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[1] Italy meets Japan in this tasty ramen recipe (photos #1 and #4 © DeLallo).

[2] Spaghettini, the second-thinnest form of spaghetti (photo DeLallo | ChatGPT 2025-04-04).

[3] Pick up a rotisserie chicken (photo © McCormick).

[4] An Italian starting point: cooking the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil.

[5] Broccolini. Here’s the difference between broccoli, broccolini, and broccoli rabe (photo © Good Eggs).

There’s more to ramen than dried noodles with seasoning packets. For National Ramen Day, April 4th, how about some fusion food: ramen noodles with an Italian twist?

You’ll note that this recipe uses spaghettini, the second thinnest variety of spaghetti (angel’s hair—capelli d’angelo in Italian—is the thinnest) in place of ramen noodles.

Spaghettini and ramen are not exactly the same, so the taste and texture and taste will differ. But there will be so much other flavor going on, that no one will notice.

You can achieve a similar texture by cooking spaghettini with baking soda in the water. It won’t be a perfect replica of authentic ramen, but there are tricks to “ramenize” it.

> Another ramen holiday: Ramen Day is celebrated every July 11th in Japan.
 
 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAMEN & SPAGHETTINI

Both are made with wheat flour. Spaghettini is made from durum wheat flour and water, and has that familiar pasta flavor.

But ramen adds a special alkaline substance*, resulting in a distinct yellow color, chewy texture, and a unique taste.

While you may be able to find fresh ramen noodles or quality dried ones, here’s a trick to “ramenize” spaghettini:

Just add a small amount of baking soda to the pasta cooking water while cooking the pasta. This will create alkaline water* along the lines of that used when making ramen.

> The difference between broccoli, broccolini, and broccoli rabe.

> The history of ramen.

> The history of spaghetti.

> The year’s pasta and noddle holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: ITALIAN STYLE CHICKEN WITH RAMEN

This Italian-style chicken ramen recipe is hearty and full of flavor. It uses a rotisserie chicken, cutting back on prep time.

We also purchased ready-to-eat hard-boiled eggs to save more cooking time.

Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 45 minutes.

Thanks to DeLallo for this recipe and the one below.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
For The Toppings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT 2 tablespoons of oil in a 8 quart stock pot over medium heat. Cook the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, anchovies, thyme and basil and cook 3 minutes more.

2. REDUCE the heat and add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the thyme and basil before adding noodles to the broth. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

3. BOIL the eggs. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the eggs, and cook for 5 minutes. While eggs cook, fill a large bowl with cold water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked eggs to the cold water and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Peel the eggs and halve them lengthwise.

4. LADLE the noodles and broth into bowls. Top each with chicken, broccolini, radishes, green onions, and the egg halves.
 
________________
 
*The alkaline substance added to ramen noodles, known as “kansui” or “lye water,” is a solution primarily composed of potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate. It is also used in some types of Chinese noodles, but not with Western noodles.

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What’s up, Doc? It’s International Carrot Day and we’re making carrot fries for dinner. They’re baked carrot fries, so much easier than deep frying these days. Not to mention, they’re a healthier alternative (less fat and calories).

We’re making ours in the air fryer, coating them with Parmesan, and doing a flavored ketchup tasting: bacon, smokey, spicy, and truffle.

> The history of carrots.

> More carrot recipes.

> A year of carrot holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CARROT FRIES

You can serve this recipe with a more elegant dip than ketchup—aïoli, hot honey, peanut sauce, spicy mayo, even hummus or Greek yogurt flavored with herbs and garlic.

You can peel the carrots or not. See the discussion below.

This recipe uses standard American seasonings, garlic and onion powders. But you can use anything in your spice cabinet, from cumin and garam masala, or za’atar, to the heat of Cajun seasoning, chipotle, or other ground chile.

Minced parsley adds brightness to the layers of flavor.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (we use air fryer liners).

2. COMBINE the olive oil, Parmesan, cornstarch, and seasonings in a bowl and mix well. Add the carrots and toss to coat well.

3. SPREAD the carrots evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes until desired crispiness is reached, flipping the carrots halfway with a spatula.

4. GARNISH with fresh parsley and serve with dipping sauce. Eat ‘em while they’re hot!
 
 
FOR CRISPIER CARROT FRIES

Carrots don’t have the starch content potatoes do, which is why we prefer the air fryers to the oven (but either is fine).

For crispier carrot fries, toss the carrot sticks in olive oil and then in corn starch or arrowroot powder.
 
 
TO PEEL, OR NOT TO PEEL?

If you choose not to peel the carrots, the benefits are extra nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and niacin. You also reduce food waste, and can use the peels for carrot peel chips, pesto, candied carrot peels, or in smoothies, soup, or stock.

The argument for peeling is that baked peel has a slightly earthy taste and texture of the skin. Some people find them more aesthetic.

But we enjoy fries with the peel on, so we often keep it on other vegetable fries.
 
 
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*For a dairy/free vegan substitute, use a blend of nutritional yeast and cornstarch or tapioca starch.

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[1] Carrot fries with aïoli, garlic mayonnaise (the recipe). Make them in the oven or air fryer (photo © Get Flavor).

[2] Grated Parmesan gives the fries a bit of cheesiness and flavor (photo © London Deposit | Panther Media).

[3] Minced parsley adds brightness to the finished fries (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] Bugs Bunny just might trade his carrot for a plate of these fries (photo © Warner Brothers).