Cheesy Carbonara Ramen
This fusion mash-up turns cheesy instant ramen into a silky carbonara by tossing the noodles with an egg yolk and Parmesan mixture, starchy pasta water, and crispy rendered pancetta. It comes together in only 15 minutes in one skillet and hits that perfect spot between late-night comfort food and something you'd see at a restaurant!
Equipment
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 packages Otoki Cheesy Ramen
- 2 oz pancetta, diced
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- ¾ cup reserved pasta water
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the Otoki Cheesy Ramen noodles for 4 minutes until just tender. Reserve ¾ cup of the starchy cooking water before draining, then drain.
- While the noodles cook, whisk the egg yolks and freshly grated Parmesan together in a small bowl until completely combined and thick. Set aside at room temperature.
- Cook the pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until deeply golden and crispy with rendered fat pooling in the pan. Remove the pan from heat completely. Transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add the noodles directly to the skillet off the heat. Add 1 packet of Otoki cheese powder over the noodles and toss to coat.
- Working quickly, add the egg yolk and Parmesan mixture and a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss aggressively until every strand is completely glossy, creamy, and coated. Add more reserved pasta water a splash at a time if needed to loosen.
- Transfer to a bowl immediately. Scatter the crispy pancetta generously over the top, crack a very generous amount of fresh black pepper over everything, and finish with extra freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Room temp egg yolks are critical, cold yolks hitting a hot pan will scramble instantly instead of forming a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Remove the skillet from heat completely before adding the egg mixture. The residual heat from the pan and noodles is all you need to cook the sauce without scrambling it.
- Toss aggressively and quickly once the egg mixture goes in. Speed and movement are what create that glossy, emulsified carbonara texture.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you’ll need. The starchy water is what keeps the sauce silky and prevents it from clumping or drying out as it cools.
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