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!
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.