30 minute miso black pepper ramen carbonara
Instead of yelling Hallelujah! today we’re yelling Carbonara! In an operatic tone, of course.
What is carbonara? Aside from delicious as hell, it’s pasta thrown in a creamy sauce made traditionally with grated cheese and eggs. Usually, a plate or bowl also involves crispy pancetta or another pork variation for a bite of saltiness within an otherwise silky base.
Carbonara is a very flexible sauce – not in the sense of being able to drop down into a split on command, but as far as how many flavors you can toss in to create something just slightly different than the previous time. My first stab at carbonara involved an herb-laden mixture tossed with noodles and garnished with juicy mushrooms: Rosemary Mushroom Pasta Carbonara, it was.
Pasta Playtime today features something of a fusion. Miso and black pepper-infused carbonara sauce, chewy ramen noodles, and quick caramelized onions for that extra crisp to make up for the lack of pork. If you’re clever (and follow my directions), dinner is served in about 30 minutes. I won’t recommend you skip the onions, but if you do, I wager 20 minutes is ample to set aside for a slambanging meal. Well, maybe just banging. The slam comes from the onions.
Mi-So Hungry
How I begin with this recipe is getting the pasta water up and boiling. The pot can hang out on the burner for awhile as you prep the rest of the dish.
Next, grab a bowl and whisk together your carbonara sauce: eggs, parmesan, miso paste, and black pepper.
Melt butter in a large skillet. While the pan heats up, slice a couple onions into 1/2 inch pieces. We’re going for a shape that mimics crumbled bacon, so you don’t want the slices too small nor too big. Think Goldilocks onion bits.
Toss the onions in the butter, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. I usually caramelize onions really slowly, but with higher heat and more frequent stirring, the theme of quick dinner remains intact. After 10 minutes, switch the heat up and douse the onions in balsamic vinegar. Okay, don’t douse, just bathe them gently. Stir another 5 minutes until crispy and browned. Remove the pan from the heat.
Scrambled Egg Pasta?
No, kids, that’s not what we’re aiming for here.
While you don’t have to fold so fast your wrist cramps up, combining the hot ramen noodles with the sauce does take some speed. We’ll return to that point in a moment.
Remember your boiling water? Comes in handy now. Add a few blocks of ramen noodles (no seasoning packet) into the water and cook according to the package directions. Usually, 2-3 minutes is all that’s required. Scoop 1/2 cup or so of the pasta water (not with your bare hands, for shit’s sake, a measuring glass or cup) from the pot and drain the noodles into a colander.
Dump the pasta back into the hot pot. Pour in the miso sauce and, with a pair of tongs, fold and toss the ramen. Again, not so frantically that you break a pinky, but with enough gusto to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Once the noodles are coated and glossy, you’re ready to bowl the stuff!
Love me some fresh basil, green onions, and extra parmesan for garnish. And, of course, plenty of the crispy onions. Try some sesame seeds or, for an extra dose of green, fresh arugula or diced avocado.
Carbonara keeps okay in the fridge, but I recommend you try to slurp it up the night of cooking. Extra onions are rad on burgers, sandwiches, scrambled into eggs, or on pizza. Or, crap, just nibble on any extra as you cook. Certainly not a strategy I enlist frequently…
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More ramen, please.
Ginger Pomegranate Tofu Ramen with Garlic Butter Mushrooms
30 Minute Sesame Black Pepper Noodles with Crispy Sweet Potatoes
30 minute miso black pepper ramen carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp yellow miso
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded, plus more for serving
- 4 squares ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
- 1/2 lemon, for juice
Instructions
- Whisk together the eggs, miso paste, black pepper, and parmesan until combined. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Switch the heat to high and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Cook until deep golden and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
- While the onions caramelize, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ramen according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the noodles back to the hot pot and QUICKLY toss with the miso sauce until creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time to thin.
- Divide into bowls and sprinkle with the crispy onions. Garnish with sliced green onions, fresh basil, and additional parmesan, as desired. Serve immediately.
