Miso udon carbonara is a delicious Asian twist on an Italian classic! You'll love the springy udon noodles and umami-loaded miso taste in this creamy noodle dish! This quick and easy recipe is for a single serving that can easily be multiplied!
Ingredients
- Udon noodles
- An egg
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Miso paste
- Black pepper
- Bacon
- Garlic
The Udon Noodles
I use frozen noodles, often found in packs of 5 bricks, each brick weighing about 200 grams. There are shelf-stable udon noodles you can buy, but I find that they have a weird taste to them, they contain preservatives, and they don't have quite the same bounce or chew as the frozen ones. So get the frozen ones if you can.
Note: Udon noodles are not gluten-free, but this recipe can also be made using rice stick noodles, rice pad thai noodles, of gluten-free dry pasta. For these dry noodle options, cook them according to package directions until just done. These will obviously take longer to cook than the udon noodles so start them cooking first before you start on the bacon and garlic for the sauce.
The Sauce
Just like a traditional carbonara, this miso udon carbonara uses egg, Parmesan cheese, and pepper. But as the name states, there is the addition of miso paste which adds an extra layer of flavor and umami to the dish that you're going to love.
The sauce ingredients get beaten together so they're well mixed and ready for cooking with the noodles.
Bacon and Garlic
Traditional Italian carbonara uses guanciale or pancetta which are basically cured pork meats. To keep things super simple (and since this already isn't a traditional Italian carbonara), I use bacon which is readily available. Chop one or two slices into pieces.
And a carbonara wouldn't be complete without garlic. All you need is one and to mince it finely.
Instructions
Before you start cooking, you should have everything ready to go because this dish comes together very quickly.
In a skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until browned, and then add the minced garlic.
Have a pot of boiling water on standby and once you add the garlic to the bacon, add the frozen udon noodle brick to the boiling water. Turn off the heat and move the noodles around with chopsticks until they are loosened, about 1 minute.
Using chopsticks or tongs or a strainer, transfer the udon noodles directly to the skillet with the bacon and garlic and reduce the heat to low. Add the egg mixture to the pan.
Using two utensils, toss and stir the udon noodles together with the other ingredients in the pan, making sure the egg does not scramble. Stir and toss until the noodles are well-coated and the sauce is creamy, about 1 ½ minutes.
How To Serve It
Top with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped green onions for freshness. To add some spice to the dish, sprinkle some Shichimi Togarashi red pepper mix!
Love Noodles?
Looking for more noodle recipes? Here are just a few, all of them Asian, but each with different flavors!
I love this noodle dish because it's a perfect single serving, it's so quick and easy to make, and of course, it's creamy delicious (without any cream!). If you want to try a carbonara with an Asian twist, you definitely want to give this a try!
~ Lisa.
Miso Udon Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 200 gram frozen udon noodle brick (See Recipe Notes below)
- 2 slices bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon miso paste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Garnishes:
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Grated Parmesan
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the beaten egg, miso paste, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until cooked and slightly golden.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the frozen udon noodles. Switch off the heat and loosen the noodles with chopsticks.
- Reduce the heat on the skillet with the bacon to LOW and add the minced garlic and fry with the bacon for about one minute.
- Use tongs or chopsticks to transfer the udon noodles to the skillet with the bacon and garlic. Stir.
- Pour in the egg mixture and toss with the noodles and bacon immediately. You do not want to scramble the egg.
- Stir and toss the noodles in the egg mixture for about 1 minute to heat through. Transfer immediately to a dish.
- Garnish with more freshly grated Parmesan, fresh ground black pepper, green onions, and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Frozen udon noodle bricks are often found in packs of 5 and can be found in the freezer section in Asian supermarkets.
- I would not suggest using shelf-stable udon noodle packets because they have preservatives and I don't find they taste as good as the frozen ones.
- Use pancetta instead of bacon if you want your carbonara to be more authentic.
- Add spice to your carbonara by adding dried chili flakes to the raw egg mixture, or sprinkle Japanese Shichimi Togarashi red pepper mix on top of the completed dish.
- You can make this with regular pasta, gluten-free pasta, rice noodle sticks or pad thai noodles.
- For these dry noodle options, cook them according to package directions until just done. These will obviously take longer to cook than the udon noodles so start them cooking first before you start on the bacon and garlic for the sauce.
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