Ramen Carbonara
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This Ramen Carbonara is by no means traditional but it is true comfort food that’s super quick and easy to make, very economical and best of all ready in 15 minutes! Are you ready? Let’s get this show on the road and I’ll show you how to make this and fill your belly in no time!
Ramen Carbonara Recipe
This Ramen Carbonara sounds strange, but it is a creamy little flavor bomb. Full of crispy, salty bacon, a beautiful egg based cheese sauce, and of course tender ramen noodles, it’s hard not to love this dish. Before anyone gets upset, this dish is by no means traditional or authentic in any way. It’s merely a combination of two of my favorite dishes, ramen and carbonara.
Carbonara is one of those dishes that if made right it can make your eyes roll back in your head with pleasure. Let’s be serious, how can you not love something that requires only 15 minutes to make! So let’s get into it.
Why You’ll Love This Ramen Carbonara
- Ease of Preparation: This recipe takes a simple, quick-cooking staple, ramen noodles, and turns it into a gourmet dish with just a few added ingredients.
- Versatility: This Ramen Carbonara can be served as a main dish for a fancy dinner or a quick lunch. It’s a flexible recipe, allowing you to add more ingredients like vegetables or proteins as per your preference.
- Distinct Flavor Fusion: Combining the comforting and creamy taste of Italian Carbonara with the ever-popular Ramen results in a delightful fusion of flavors. This creative twist on traditional dishes is sure to impress.
- Noodles – I used ramen noodles today. I’ve tested this recipe before with rice ramen noodles and found they broke apart too much when tossing everything together, so try to aim for a standard pack.
- Bacon – The salty, crispy component of our dish. Feel free to use pancetta if you have some on hand instead.
- Garlic – a couple cloves is all you need for some added flavor!
- Eggs – No need for cream in carbonara! That silky texture is achieved through our egg mixture.
- Parmesan cheese – there’s no carbonara without Parmesan cheese. Grate your own Parmesan cheese, it makes a world of difference to your dishes.
- Basil – I used fresh basil as it’s so aromatic, but if dried is all you have that is fine. Keep in mind that 1 teaspoon dried equals one tablespoon of the fresh stuff.
- Seasoning – a bit of salt and pepper is needed. Watch it with the salt as bacon can be quite salty, especially when cooked.
You won’t believe how simple and quick this dish is to make, so let’s get started.
First things first, we’re going to cook up some ramen noodles. It’s as easy as following the instructions on the package. These cook super fast – usually just a couple of minutes.
While the noodles are doing their thing, crack your eggs into a medium-sized bowl and add in that fresh Parmesan cheese. Give it a good whisk until it’s all mixed together and set it aside. See? No sweat at all!
Grab a large skillet and start cooking those bacon pieces. If you notice there’s too much fat left in the skillet, drain off a bit but keep about a tablespoon. Once your bacon is crisp, toss in the minced garlic and let it sauté for about 30 seconds. The smell alone is worth the effort!
Now it’s time to assemble our culinary masterpiece. Add the ramen noodles to the skillet with the bacon and garlic, giving it a good toss so the flavors mingle. Remove the skillet from the heat and get ready for the grand finale.
Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the noodles, tossing them to mix everything together. The heat from the noodles and bacon should cook the egg just right, making a creamy, dreamy sauce. Last but not least, sprinkle fresh basil over the top and grind a bit of black pepper for garnish.
Pro Tip
Ensure you remove the skillet from the heat before adding the egg and cheese mixture. This way, you’ll avoid scrambling the eggs and instead create a creamy, rich sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carbonara?
Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish that originates from Rome. It’s made with eggs, cheese (usually Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano), bacon, and black pepper. The dish gets its creamy texture from the egg and cheese mixture, not from cream.
Can I substitute the bacon in this recipe?
Yes, you can. Traditionally, carbonara uses guanciale (Italian cured pork cheek), but bacon is a common substitute. If you prefer, you can also use pancetta or prosciutto.
Can I use other types of noodles, not ramen?
Of course! While this recipe uses ramen for a unique twist, traditional carbonara is usually made with spaghetti, but you could also use fettuccine or linguine.
What if my sauce becomes scrambled instead of creamy?
This usually happens if the eggs are exposed to too much heat. To avoid this, make sure to remove your skillet from the heat before adding the egg and cheese mixture. If the sauce does scramble a little, don’t worry, it’ll still taste delicious.
Expert Tips
- Cheese Choice: While Parmesan is commonly used and readily available, for a more authentic experience, try using Pecorino Romano if you can get your hands on it.
- Cooking the Eggs: To ensure you don’t end up with scrambled eggs, remove the skillet from the heat before adding the egg and cheese mixture. The residual heat from the skillet and the noodles will gently cook the eggs without scrambling them.
- Reserve some Pasta Water: It’s a good idea to save a cup of the pasta water before you drain the noodles. You can use this starchy water to adjust the thickness of the sauce if necessary.
- Freshly Ground Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is key in a carbonara dish. The heat and slight spiciness of fresh pepper are integral to the overall flavor.
- Add-ins: Feel free to add in cooked vegetables or even chicken for a twist on the classic. But remember, less is often more with carbonara – the simple ingredients are what make this dish shine.
Storage
To store Ramen Carbonara, let it cool to room temperature first. After that, transfer it into an airtight container and put it in the fridge. It should stay good for about 2-3 days. When you’re ready to eat it, you can reheat it on the stove over low heat. Add a splash of water or milk to help the sauce regain its creaminess as it heats up. Keep in mind that the quality of the dish is best when eaten fresh and may change slightly when stored and reheated.
Carbonara can be frozen but it will lose quality, as the noodles will become mushy and the egg-based sauce will not freeze well.
Oodles Of Noodle Recipes To Try
- Shrimp Shiitake Noodles
- Mongolian Beef Ramen Noodles
- One Pot Pasta
- Creamy Carbonara
- Black Pepper Udon Noodles With Shrimp
- Tofu Drunken Noodles
- Crockpot Chinese Pork with Noodles
- Spicy Thai Chicken and Veggie Noodles
- Easy Pasta Alfredo
- Easy Carbonara
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Ramen Carbonara
Video
Ingredients
- 9 ounce ramen noodles (3 packages, discard the seasoning)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 slices bacon (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 4 tablespoons basil (fresh, chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions. They shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes to cook. Toss them with the olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs with the Parmesan cheese. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a large skillet cook the bacon until brown and crisp. If too much fat is in the skillet, drain leaving 1 tbsp of bacon fat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the ramen noodles to the skillet and toss together with the bacon. Remove from heat. Pour the egg/cheese mixture over the noodles and toss well. The heat of the noodles should cook the egg as needed.
- Garnish the carbonara with some fresh basil and some more freshly ground black pepper and serve while still warm.
Notes
- Cheese Choice: Authentic carbonara uses Pecorino Romano, but Parmesan cheese is a fine substitute and is easier to find.
- Ramen Choice: Any instant ramen or fresh ramen noodles can work well for this recipe. Discard the seasoning packets as we’re only using the noodles.
- Bacon Substitutes: If you don’t have bacon, pancetta or guanciale can also be used.
- Fresh Basil: If basil isn’t available, try substituting with fresh parsley or simply omit it.
- Garlic Intensity: Feel free to adjust the garlic to your liking; if you’re a garlic lover, go ahead and add an extra clove or two!
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
