Miso Udon Carbonara | An Asian-Italian Fusion Recipe

miso paste

🥗Healthier: white bean puree

💰Cheaper: soy sauce

White bean puree adds creaminess with fewer calories.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is a lower-calorie cheese alternative.

bacon

🥗Healthier: turkey bacon

💰Cheaper: pancetta

Turkey bacon is leaner while maintaining flavor.

spaghetti

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pasta

💰Cheaper: penne

Whole wheat pasta offers more fiber.

Slice a fresh bunch of scallion into small pieces.

In a bowl, add 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 tbsp of miso paste, 1 tbsp of gochujang, some black pepper to taste, and 2/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Whisk the Carbonara sauce ingredients together until fully combined, ensuring the miso paste breaks up and the sauce is smooth.

Cut up 1/2 pound of sliced pork belly into bite-sized pieces and place in a sauté pan in a single layer.

Turn the stove on medium heat and cook the pork belly pieces until crispy, about 8 minutes, flipping to ensure even cooking.

Stir the pork belly pieces around the pan until done, then remove from the pan and set aside, leaving the drippings behind.

Pour in 1/4 cup of sake into the pan and use a wooden spoon to deglaze, scraping up the flavorful bits. Let it simmer for 30 seconds until slightly reduced, then turn off the heat.

Remove the lid from a large pot of boiling water and add 1 pound of udon noodles, cooking according to the packaging instructions (usually 2 to 3 minutes).

Gently break apart the noodles with chopsticks and reserve 1 cup of the noodle water before draining.

Add the drained noodles to the sake-deglazed pan and stir to coat in the drippings.

Add the crispy pork belly and stir to incorporate, allowing the noodles and pork to heat up on low heat while stirring.

Turn off the heat and immediately add the prepared miso sauce, tossing quickly to coat the noodles.

Add the remaining Carbonara sauce and continue to toss, pouring in some reserved noodle water to achieve a creamy consistency without scrambling the eggs.

Add a few pinches of chopped scallion and toss once more to combine.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens