Bacon Gnocchi Carbonara

While the gnocchi is roasting, thinly slice the brown onion. Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Thinly slice the pear. Thinly slice the cucumber into half-moons. Cut the bacon into 1cm pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey and 4 tsp of olive oil.

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 bottle of pure cream, 1 chicken stock cube and a generous pinch of pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, tossing, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the bacon and cook until golden, 7-8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

To the frying pan, add the roasted gnocchi and 1/2 the baby spinach leaves and stir until the spinach wilts. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the carbonara sauce and 1/4 cup of warm water. TIP: Removing the pan from the heat before adding the egg is important to avoid the egg scrambling. Mix well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. TIP: If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash more water until the sauce is creamy and silky.