Miso Ramen Carbonara-ish

If you have never had fresh carbonara, I urge you to. It is one of my favorite pasta dishes to make from scratch, but it can be very time consuming. That is where this dish comes in – a dressed up, easier, asian fusion “carbonara.” It starts with easy ramen noodles that cook up in no time, combined with a salty miso paste and spicy sriracha. It still has all the classic elements of carbonara – pancetta, eggs, and pecorino – but the asian ingredients really take it up a notch. The broccoli also adds a lightness and a bite to diversify the texture in the dish – not to mention that pop of color! The hardest part to nail, as with any carbonara, is the sauce – if the heat is too high the eggs will scramble, and if its too low the sauce won’t thicken and come together. Try this for a unique twist on a delicious classic, and you will love it so much you might ditch the handmade pasta for ramen!

4oz Pancetta
2 Cups Broccoli
2 Instant Noodles + 1 Sauce Packet – I use the brand A-SHA Hakka Noodles because they are wide and come with a sauce packet instead of dry seasoning packet.
1 Cup Pecorino, Grated
4 Egg Yolks
1 Tbsp Miso Paste
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1/2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Oil
Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes

To Make:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While you are waiting for the water to boil, heat a large pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once heated, add the pancetta and cook until the pancetta begins to brown – about 5-8 minutes.
Remove the pancetta from the pan. Add the butter and broccoli, cover and cook until the broccoli starts to soften.
While the broccoli cooks, lets make the sauce! In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, ramen sauce packet, rice vinegar, miso paste, and sriracha. Whisk until well combined.
Add the pecorino cheese to the sauce mixture and stir well.
By this point, the water should be boiling – add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions – about 3-5 minutes for them to become soft.
Return the pancetta to the pan with the broccoli and reduce the heat to low.
Once the noodles are done cooking, add them to the pan and turn the heat off. Toss the noodles with the pancetta and broccoli.
This next step you will need to work quickly so the eggs do not scramble. Add the egg-sauce mixture to the pan and continuously stir so the cheese melts and the noodles are well covered. Stir together for about 3 minutes. *If your pan is too hot, the eggs will begin to scramble. The egg sauce mixture will form a thick sauce to coat the noodles but will still be a bit runny.
Divide between bowls and grate some fresh pecorino over the pasta. Serve and enjoy!

STEP 2