Ramen Carbonara
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 6 to 8slices bacon or pancetta, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips or lardons (4 to 6 ounces)
- 2cups boiling water
- 3tablespoons butter, plus more for frying eggs
- 1cup grated Parmesan or pecorino, or a combination (about 4 ounces)
- 2(3-ounce) packages ramen noodles (noodle blocks only; discard the seasoning packs)
- 2eggs, whisked together until smooth
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2whole eggs, at room temperature
For the Ramen
For the Optional Fried Eggs
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
1275 calories; 92 grams fat; 42 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 34 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 54 grams protein; 3147 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large skillet (preferably nonstick), cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and meat is cooked through. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent scorching. When bacon is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside.
- Step 2
Pour off the extra bacon fat in the pan, leaving behind any browned bits stuck on the bottom. Return pan to medium-high heat and add boiling water, butter and half the cheese. Stir, scraping up bacon bits, and bring to a boil. Add noodle blocks and boil, gently separating the strands as they soften, until noodles are almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. The noodles will absorb some of the liquid, and there will be a thick broth in the pan. Keep the heat high; you want most of the liquid to evaporate.
- Step 3
Reduce heat to low. Add whisked eggs, stir into noodles very well, and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. The sauce should remain quite runny; the eggs will continue to cook after you remove them from the heat. Mix in cooked bacon, remaining cheese and plenty of black pepper and immediately remove from the heat.
- Step 4
Scrape mixture into 2 large serving bowls. If not making fried eggs, serve immediately, grinding pepper over the top of each bowl.
- Step 5
If making fried eggs, cover the noodle bowls to keep them warm. Return empty pan to medium heat, add a lump of butter, and swirl until melted and foaming. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until yolks are just set and edges are brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to noodle bowls, grind on more pepper, and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Cooked the bacon in the oven on a rack with foil underneath. Put a T bacon grease in the hot pan with 1 T Butter, added broken up Ramen noodles, stir around in hot grease, poured in boiling water and cooked for a couple of minutes. Added ground pepper, stirred in eggs a bit at a time adding cheese in this step. Added back in crumbled bacon and served with bacon and cheese on top. Husband loves me more and is now napping.
This recipe also inspired me to think of other broths I could make to cook ramen noodles in. Ginger, garlic, green curry paste, and coconut milk, with some green onions was delicious! I hope this gives you some inspiration as well!
Delicious and satisfying as well as simple. One suggestion: I would wait to add the first batch of cheese until at the time of or after adding the eggs. Adding the cheese to the water resulted in the clumping of the cheese. Also, with the bacon and parmesan, I elected to forego the added salt and thought it was well seasoned.
This wasn't our favorite. The noodles got gluey in the cheesy sauce.
We call this “breakfast ramen” in our house and it’s a family favorite! I omit the salt because the bacon is more than salty enough to season the entire dish. Sprinkling the cheese seems to prevent the big blob in the boiling water. I also shred my own Parmesan from a block. Pre-shredded has stuff on it to prevent clumping in the bag and that affects the melting process.
This, and Roy Choi’s Instant Ramen “hack” alternate on my afternoon snack list weekly. The recipe is easily halved, and it tastes just fine using leftover or microwave bacon to speed up the time. I can easily prepare this in less than 10 mins using leftover bacon from brunch. A few notes: -Grating your own Parmesan will solve your problems both in and out of the kitchen. Store bought is gritty and repulsive once you’ve had it without the anti-caking additives. -I skip the parm in the broth pre cooking, instead whisking that half of the cheese into the egg mixture. -Temper your egg mixture with a few tbs of very hot tap water or pasta water, whisking constantly, to avoid scrambling your eggs. -Parsley is the only garnish this needs. Fried eggs are great on Roy Choi’s ramen but feel out of place here. -Frozen peas are fun but best to cook them in the microwave and add at the end. Ramen noodles can only tolerate so much friction and mushy peas are only good with fish and chips! -Boiling the noodles with the seasoning packs adds great flavor (pork or chicken is best) but I do discard the broth prior to making the sauce, adding the same amount of hot water back to the pan which quickly returns to a boil. I use a 12 inch frying pan for this recipe with great results.
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