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Kimchi Carbonara

November 7, 2019 By Lokness 14 Comments

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!

Kimchi Carbonara #kimchi #carbonara #pasta #weeknightdinner #dinner #dinnerrecipe #cheese #bacon #easyrecipe | The Missing Lokness

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.

Kimchi Carbonara #kimchi #carbonara #pasta #weeknightdinner #dinner #dinnerrecipe #cheese #bacon #easyrecipe | The Missing Lokness

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 #kimchi #carbonara #pasta #weeknightdinner #dinner #dinnerrecipe #cheese #bacon #easyrecipe | The Missing Lokness
Kimchi Carbonara #kimchi #carbonara #pasta #weeknightdinner #dinner #dinnerrecipe #cheese #bacon #easyrecipe | The Missing Lokness
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5 from 2 votes

Kimchi Carbonara

Servings 2 people
Author Lokness

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

  1. I chopped the kimchi finely, so they can blend in better with the sauce. 
  2. I used bucatini in this recipe. Spaghetti will do as well.
(Carbonara adapted from Bon Appetit)

Filed Under: Cook, Pasta/Noodle Tagged With: bacon, bucatini, carbonara, easy, fusion, kimchi, pancetta, parmesan, pasta, spaghetti, weeknight

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Santosh Kumar says

    November 25, 2019 at 11:18 pm

    5 stars
    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….!

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      November 26, 2019 at 7:51 am

      Thank you so much! Let me know if you tried it! Have a great week! ?

      Reply
  2. Cuzcan says

    March 12, 2020 at 2:48 am

    Hello! just wondering, what’s the prep time and cooking time for this recipe?? Im dying to try it out..

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      March 12, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Hi Cuzcan, prep time is about 25 minutes and cooking time is also about 25 minutes. Enjoy! Hope you will like it!

      Reply
  3. jhon dsx says

    March 25, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    it’s super easy after reading step by step guides, it’s time to try new things.

    thanks

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      March 27, 2020 at 11:00 am

      Hope you will like it!

      Reply
  4. Shanina says

    July 20, 2020 at 3:37 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      July 21, 2020 at 9:55 am

      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! ☺️

      Reply
  5. Renee Song says

    April 22, 2021 at 4:34 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing, thank you so much for making it!

    Reply
  6. Lyn says

    August 8, 2021 at 7:43 pm

    Hi i’m just curios, why use egg?

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      August 8, 2021 at 10:04 pm

      Hi Lyn, egg is what makes the pasta creamy.

      Reply
  7. Shivesh says

    December 6, 2022 at 9:09 pm

    This was the ideal side dish. Even my young daughters enjoyed it!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Best Subtle Asian Cooking Recipes to Impress Your Subtle Asian Dates – Penn Appétit says:
    December 6, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    […] 4. Kimchi Carbonara (Lok Man Fan)  […]

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  2. What To Serve With Kimchi - 45 BEST Side Dishes - Pantry & Larder says:
    December 5, 2022 at 5:10 am

    […] recipeKimchi mac and cheeseMake it differentKimchi carbonaraMake it Japanese-inspiredKimchi […]

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Welcome! I'm Lokness. Currently live in Los Angles. Grew up in Hong Kong. Obsessed with chocolate & ice cream. Cooking is something I love. This is where I share my stories and recipes. Want to know more? Click here.
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