Miso Udon Carbonara

20 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

There is nothing to say about this dish that isn't already abundantly clear in the name. It's a no-nonsense take on Italian pasta carbonara that recruits the use of umami rich miso paste as well as bouncy and superbly slurpy udon noodles (use frozen over vacuum packed stuff if at all possible) in place of traditional pasta. The ever necessary egg yolk-bound sauce is laced with full-fat cream and unapologetically clings to the udon noodles as if its life depends on it. There's also an optional garnish of an additional raw egg yolk to finish the dish for those who really want to double down on that over-the-top creamy mouthfeel.

Ingredients

Miso Udon Carbonara

5 egg yolks (3 are optional garnish)
750 grams frozen udon noodles
150 grams pancetta, diced
1/2 cup 35% whipping cream
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
1 tablespoon shiro miso paste
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

Miso Udon Carbonara

7 Steps

Step 1

In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 egg yolks, whipping cream, grated Pecorino Romano and miso paste. Mix until smooth and set aside.
Step 2

In a cold heavy bottomed pan, place the diced pancetta and begin rendering on medium heat until the pancetta is crispy, between 6-10 minutes.
Step 3

While the pancetta is rendering, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the udon.
Step 4

Once the pancetta is rendered, drain off the excess fat from the pan leaving behind approximately 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
Step 5

Once the water has come to a rolling boil, drop in the frozen udon noodles and using chopsticks or tongs carefully unravel the bundles. Once the noodles have unraveled and are fully thawed (they do not need to be “cooked” beyond being fully thawed out), drain them off, reserving approximately 1/2 cup of the noodle water.
Step 6

Transfer the noodles straight into the pan of rendered pancetta, add in the miso-cream mixture and return to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon to stir, incorporate the sauce into the noodles and add a small amount of noodle water as needed until a semi thick and creamy consistency is reached. Remove from the heat, adjust seasoning with salt if necessary and a generous amount of fresh cracked black pepper.
Step 7

Transfer the noodles to a pasta bowl and top with additional egg yolk and fresh cracked black pepper if desired.