Tried of your regular pasta dinner, how about putting a twist on a classic? This Kimchi Carbonara is creamy, little tangy & cheesy with lots of bacon. So delicious!
Recently, we went to a Korean restaurant called Yellow House Cafe that serves Korean comfort food and fusion food, like kimchi fried rice, KBBQ beef quesadilla, and dukboki (rice cake). Their food was delicious! It’s a great place to hang out with friends for a couple hours.
On their menu, one of the dishes caught my eyes, kimchi and bacon pasta with cream sauce. Although we didn’t try it, I thought that is a great combination. I came home and decided to create my own version, kimchi carbonara.
Carbonara is creamy, cheesy and made with bacon. It’s the perfect to go with tangy kimchi. I used 3/4 cup of kimchi for 2 servings. It’s just enough to give that umami and sour taste but didn’t overpower the pasta. I cooked some of the kimchi to soften the texture, but also added some fresh ones to brighten the flavors. Savory, creamy, meaty, and a little tangy. It was incredible! We love this carbonara! It’s a dish that is unique yet easy for weeknights. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Kimchi Carbonara
Ingredients
- 3 ounces pancetta or bacon (cut into ¼-inch strips)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving (grated)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup kimchi (finely chopped, divided)
- 8 ounces bucatini or spaghetti
- salt
- Fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water (salted) to a boil over high heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolk and egg until well blended. Stir in the cheese. Season with black pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil. Add pancetta and cook until crisp around the edges, about 7 – 8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a small bowl.
- In the same Dutch oven, remove most of the fat, except for 2 tablespoons. Turn the heat to medium-low, add half of the kimchi (not all) and cook for 4 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Save ¾ cup pasta water. Drain pasta. Set aside.
- Add ½ cup pasta water into Dutch oven with the kimchi. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add cooked pasta. Stirring constantly and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
- Whisk in 2 tablespoons pasta water (not all) into the egg mixture. Then slowly pour into Dutch oven, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. If needed, add a little more pasta water to thin out the sauce. Add the remaining kimchi and bacon. Stir well. Season with salt if needed.
- Transfer pasta to serving plates. Sprinkle with black pepper and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I chopped the kimchi finely, so they can blend in better with the sauce.
- I used bucatini in this recipe. Spaghetti will do as well.
Hello…Lokness….this is an amazing and it looks so delicious, more yummy as well…i will definitely make this an upcoming few days later for my hubby…Thanks for sharing….!
Thank you so much! Let me know if you tried it! Have a great week! ?
Hello! just wondering, what’s the prep time and cooking time for this recipe?? Im dying to try it out..
Hi Cuzcan, prep time is about 25 minutes and cooking time is also about 25 minutes. Enjoy! Hope you will like it!
it’s super easy after reading step by step guides, it’s time to try new things.
thanks
Hope you will like it!
Easy to make and delicious! The kimchi was such a bold yummy twist to the Carbonara. Thank you for your recipe! Me and brother really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much Shanina! I’m glad to know you guys enjoyed it. That makes me happy! Thanks for letting me know. Have a wonderful week! ☺️
Amazing, thank you so much for making it!
Hi i’m just curios, why use egg?
Hi Lyn, egg is what makes the pasta creamy.
This was the ideal side dish. Even my young daughters enjoyed it!