This Miso Udon Carbonara is the perfect fusion of Japanese and Italian flavors. The miso and soy sauce give it rich umami depth, the egg yolks add creaminess, and the bacon brings savory goodness. Best of all, you can have this delicious miso udon carbonara ready in just 20 minutes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Creamy: This dish gets its silky texture from eggs, cheese, and starchy udon water
Perfect fusion of flavors: Classic Italian carbonara meets Japanese umami.
Udon noodles: Thick, chewy udon noodles hold onto the sauce better than traditional pasta, giving you a hearty bite in every forkful.
Quick and weeknight-friendly: From start to finish, this recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights when you still want something delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 packs of fresh or frozen udon noodles
- Thick and chewy noodles, perfect with the sauce
- 3 slices bacon or pancetta, finely sliced
- Adds a smoky and savory flavor
- 2 large pasteurized egg yolks
- The secret to the silky texture
- 1 pasteurized egg
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- Adds a nutty and salty flavor
- 1½–2 tbsp miso paste (adjust to taste)
- Adds a deep, umami flavor
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Aromatic flavors
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Spice to balance the richness
- Reserved udon cooking water
- Helps loosen the sauce
Click on the images for the direct link to the ingredients/tools I used:
Miso Udon Carbonara Instructions
Cook the udon noodles according to package instructions. Reserve ½–1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, grated cheese, and a generous amount of black pepper. Set aside.
In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving about 1 tbsp of bacon fat in the pan.
Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the miso paste and a splash of reserved udon water. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Lower the heat to low.
Add the cooked udon noodles to the pan and toss until well coated.
Transfer the udon to a bowl. Pour in the miso-egg mixture and toss quickly to create a creamy sauce (the residual heat will cook the eggs gently).
Add half of the bacon and toss again.
Plate the udon noodles
Grate more cheese on top
Finish with green onions and an extra egg yolk, if desired.
Miso Udon Carbonara Cooking Tips
Reserve udon water. The starchy water will help the egg and sauce emulsify into a glossy coating.
Cook the bacon until crispy on low heat.
When mixing the noodles with the egg cheese mixture, make sure the heat is off. Residual heat might scramble the eggs.
Miso Udon Carbonara Substitution Ingredients
Bacon –> Turkey bacon, ham
Parmesan cheese –> Pecorino Romano, Asiago
Green onions –> Chives, parsley
Miso Udon Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 packs fresh or frozen udon noodles
- 3 slices bacon or pancetta finely sliced
- 2 large pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 pasteurized egg
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- 1½ –2 tbsp miso paste adjust to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Reserved udon cooking water
Instructions
- Cook the udon noodles according to package instructions. Reserve ½–1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, grated cheese, and a generous amount of black pepper. Set aside.
- In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving about 1 tbsp of bacon fat in the pan.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the miso paste and a splash of reserved udon water. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Lower the heat to low.
- Add the cooked udon noodles to the pan and toss until well coated.
- Transfer the udon to a bowl. Pour in the miso-egg mixture and toss quickly to create a creamy sauce (the residual heat will cook the eggs gently).
- Add half of the bacon and toss again.
- Plate the udon noodles
- Grate more cheese on top
- Finish with green onions and an extra egg yolk, if desired
If you enjoyed this miso udon carbonara recipe, you might also like my creamy udon with tofu sauce recipe.
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