Ramen Carbonara (Printable)

Creamy carbonara meets instant ramen in this fusion dish with crispy bacon and egg-Parmesan sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 2 packs instant ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded

→ Sauce

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
05 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Meats

06 - 4 slices bacon or pancetta, cut into small pieces

→ Aromatics

07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Garnish

08 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
09 - Extra grated Parmesan for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Whisk together eggs, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and black pepper in a medium bowl until fully combined. Set aside at room temperature.
02 - Place bacon or pancetta pieces in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until crispy and fat has rendered, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving drippings in pan.
03 - Add minced garlic to the hot bacon fat. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Remove skillet from heat.
04 - Prepare ramen noodles according to package directions, omitting seasoning packets. Drain thoroughly, reserving 1/4 cup of noodle cooking water.
05 - Add drained noodles to the skillet with garlic. Toss vigorously to coat evenly with rendered bacon fat.
06 - With skillet completely off heat, pour egg-Parmesan mixture over noodles. Toss rapidly and continuously to prevent curdling while sauce thickens and coats noodles. Add splash of reserved pasta water if sauce becomes too thick.
07 - Fold cooked bacon pieces into coated noodles. Adjust seasoning with additional black pepper as needed.
08 - Plate carbonara ramen while hot. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The silky carbonara sauce clings to those curly ramen noodles in ways traditional pasta never could
  • Ready in under 30 minutes but tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did
  • The crispy bacon adds the perfect salty crunch that cuts through the rich creaminess
02 -
  • The pan must be off the heat when you add the egg mixture or the sauce will scramble into bits
  • Work quickly once the egg mixture hits the noodles because that sauce needs to coat while everything is still hot
  • Reserving the pasta water is not optional because that starchy liquid binds everything together perfectly
03 -
  • The sauce continues to thicken as it sits so serve immediately after tossing
  • Room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the sauce
  • Cook the bacon until very crispy because it softens slightly when added back to the noodles

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