What is Miso Udon Carbonara?
This Creamy Miso Udon Carbonara is a fun Asian twist on traditional Italian carbonara. It incorporates Japanese ingredients like udon noodles and miso paste which make the indulgent pasta dish taste both familiar yet new at the same time. The miso is very subtle but combined with the cheese it gives the sauce a rich umami flavor that you just have to try for yourself.
It only takes 20 minutes!
The great thing about this dish is that it all comes together in just 20 minutes. The udon noodles take about a minute in boiling water to cook. Once your bacon and garlic is cooked, reduce the heat to low, add in your cooked pasta and sauce and mix continuously to ensure the eggs do not scramble. Pretty soon you’ll see a creamy, velvety sauce develop that is rich and full of flavor but without the heaviness that comes from heavy cream.
Where can I find udon noodles and miso paste?
Udon noodles have a slightly chewy texture that both kids and adults will enjoy. They are also quite thick so will keep you full and satisfied. The udon noodles, miso paste, togarashi seasoning, and nori can be found at most Asian supermarkets (you can also use the roasted seaweed from Costco for the nori). The udon noodles can be found in the freezer section and come in pre-shaped in single-portion-sized sheets.
As for the miso, I like to go with a white miso for this recipe as it is a bit lighter in flavor than the darker miso which has undergone a longer fermentation process. If you prefer a more pungent miso flavor, you can absolutely go with a darker miso.
Togarashi seasoning is a Japanese seasoning blend of red chili peppers, sichuan peppercorns, dried orange peel, sesame seeds, etc. It adds a welcome spicy kick to the creamy pasta dish. You can substitute with Korean red chili flakes or simply cayenne pepper as well.
Miso Udon Carbonara
Ingredients
- 4 sheets udon noodles Available at most Asian markets
- 4 strips thick sliced bacon, chopped into 1/4" slices or 5-6 slices of regular bacon
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup reserved udon pasta water
- togarashi seasoning to garnish *optional
- sliced nori strips to garnish *optional
Egg Sauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbso miso paste
- salt & pepper to season
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for your egg sauce into a medium bowl. Use a small whisk to ensure everything is evenly combined and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your udon noodles for about 1 minute. Reserve about 1/2 cup of udon water and drain your noodles.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat and cook your bacon. Once the bacon starts to crisp, add garlic and saute for just a minute until the garlic is golden.
- Add in the cooked udon noodles and mix. Reduce the heat to low and add egg sauce. Mix continuously to ensure the eggs don't scramble and a creamy sauce develops. Keep mixing until the noodles are well coated with the egg sauce.
- Top each bowl of noodles with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and garnish with togarashi seasoning and nori strips (*optional).
