Kimchi Carbonara

Published Aug. 1, 2022

Kimchi Carbonara
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,127)
Comments
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The chef Melanie Hye Jin Meyer is constantly researching Korean foodways to create dishes for her Korean-inspired pop-up restaurant Tiny Chef in St. Louis. Kimchi carbonara, which she was seeing all over Korean TikTok, spoke to her. “I love how Korea somewhat recently started introducing cheese on everything,” Ms. Meyer said. “I’m all for it, especially being from the Midwest.” This is her take on the cultural mashup as a Korean adoptee. She cooks down napa cabbage kimchi until soft, and cuts through the buttery base with white wine. The dish comes together quickly, so have everything prepped and ready to go before starting the sauce. —Elyse Inamine

Featured in: Food Is Identity. For Korean Chefs Who Were Adopted, It’s Complicated.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 1pound thick spaghetti
  • 4tablespoons salted butter
  • 1small shallot, minced (1 tablespoon)
  • 6medium garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
  • 1tablespoon minced ginger
  • ¼cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
  • 1teaspoon black pepper
  • ½cup diced napa cabbage kimchi
  • ¼cup kimchi juice (see Tip)
  • 3large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • ½cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • 1cup red spinach or regular spinach, thinly sliced
  • Gochugaru (Korean red-chile flakes), for sprinkling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

651 calories; 22 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 90 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 521 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

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the shallot. Cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

  3. Step 3

    Deglaze the skillet by adding the white wine and stirring to loosen any browned bits, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper. Let simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.

  4. Step 4

    Slip the kimchi into the skillet and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss well to coat.

  5. Step 5

    Once the pasta is incorporated, remove from the heat, add the kimchi juice, egg yolks and cheese, and toss vigorously to coat the pasta. If the pasta seems dry, add some reserved pasta cooking water. Divide among four bowls and top with the spinach, more Parmesan and a sprinkle of gochugaru.

Tip
  • If your kimchi doesn’t have enough accompanying juice, Ms. Meyer suggests squeezing the kimchi a bit to wring out more. The kimchi will also lose a bit of juice after it’s chopped, so make sure to use that as well.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,127 user ratings
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Comments

The borders of the culinary world may be smaller than you think. Some comments complain about the authenticity of this carbonara. Poland would seem farther from Korea than Italy. I have a recipe for Haluski that combines egg noodles with sauerkraut fried in butter. Hmm, sounds a bit familiar. Perhaps we should judge a recipe for its taste, rather than its genealogy.

Made tonight, really good. Pay no attention to the kvetches who say it’s not traditional.

This is great - I didn’t add the spinach on top. Yes, it needs the egg yolks, it’s a take on carbonara. If you don’t like the egg yolks, make another recipe.

If you are not vegetarian and think let's make it for a vegetarian Friend, don't. This recipe Mightbe meatless but not without dead animal.

followed the recipe to a t and I wasn't impressed. perhaps 1 lb pasta might be too much for the amount of sauce/kimchi etc. adding more kimchi might be the way to go. i wonder if pecorino might make this dish better?

Pretty good. There are a lot of layers of salt here (salted butter, salted pasta water, parm), so watch out -- mine came out too salty. Responding to other comments: -It's carbonara, the egg yolks are key. -Increase kimchi amount if desired, it's subtle -Italians whining about any changes to anything remotely Italian-adjacent is an annoying tale as old as time (I've lived in Bologna). It's tiresome and narrow-minded.

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Credits

Adapted from Melanie Hye Jin Meyer

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