I recently had an amazing Kimchi Carbonara at a restaurant, and immediately thought “why aren’t I making this at home all the time? It’s a no brainer!” So I came up with this easy, one-pot version of Kimchi Carbonara that can be whipped up any night of the week. It’s creamy, packed with flavor, and has just the right amount of heat. I hope you love it as much as I do!
The restaurant, by the way, was Best Friend - Roy Choi's restaurant in the Park MGM in Las Vegas. I highly recommend it if you're ever in the neighbourhood!
Ingredients needed to make this recipe:
- Dry Pasta - any shape will do
- Bacon - high quality, not watery. Thick cut if possible
- Parmesan cheese - grated
- Kimchi - you can find it in most grocery stores now!
- Gochujang - You may need an Asian supermarket for this one, or you can pick it up online.
- Boiling water
- Green onions (optional)
Equipment needed:
- A heavy bottomed pot or wide skillet with a tight fitting lid
- Cutting board and knife
- Small mixing bowl
How to make Kimchi Carbonara
I've written more detailed instructions in the recipe card, but here's the jist.
- Cook the bacon, drain (if needed), add the kimchi and cook a bit longer. Set aside.
- Add the pasta to the skillet and add enough water to almost/barely cover the noodles. This will depend a bit on the size of your skillet. Cook according to the package instructions, adding more water throughout the cooking process if needed.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg, gochujang, and parmesan cheese in a small bowl, and set aside.
- When the pasta is done, turn off the heat, and add the kimchi and bacon mixture, along with the egg mixture. Stir well until the egg mixture forms a creamy sauce with the pasta water, adding more pasta water and potentially turning the burner back on to low if needed.
- You should now have a creamy, delicious sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta. Serve with an optional sprinkle of green onions and parmesan cheese.
Success Tips:
- Use good quality pasta. I normally look for bronze die cut, and it’s a good sign if it takes somewhere between 11-14 minutes to cook. (You should be able to find the cooking time right on the package). The long cooking time indicates that it’s a thicker pasta, which means it’ll hold up and have a good toothsome bite, instead of disintegrating like the cheap, flimsy stuff.
- Use a heavy bottomed pot that sits flat on your cooktop and has a tight fitting lid. This will ensure that the pasta cooks evenly.
- Use good quality bacon. Normally, Carbonara calls for Guanciale (cured pork cheek) or pancetta (cured pork belly). I’m using good ol’ smoky bacon here because it’s readily available in my grocery store, and the smokiness of bacon pairs really well with kimchi. Just make sure you use one that is nice and thickly cut, and not packed with a ton of water.
- Use a high-quality parmesan cheese. I like to buy a big chunk from Costco and grate it in my food processor all at once. I store my grated parm in a Ziploc bag in the freezer, so it’s ready for me whenever I need it. It’s important to use good parm because it’s the only way it’ll melt and help form the creamy carbonara sauce. Pre-grated parm often has anti-clumping agents in it which inhibits the melting process.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can skip the bacon and use smoked tofu instead. Cut the tofu into tiny pieces and sauté until golden brown to achieve a similar umami flavor. You may want to add a pinch of smoked paprika to replicate the smoky flavor of bacon.
Traditional napa cabbage kimchi works great in this recipe. Make sure it's well-fermented for the best flavor. You can use either homemade or store-bought kimchi.
Carbonara is best served immediately after cooking. The sauce can become thick and lose its creamy texture when reheated. I don't recommend making this dish ahead of time.
Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste made from fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and red chili powder. It has a thick, sticky consistency and offers a complex flavor that's spicy, sweet, and umami-rich. It's a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking that adds depth and heat to dishes.
While gochujang adds a unique sweet-spicy flavor, you can substitute with a mixture of red pepper flakes and a tiny bit of miso paste. However, gochujang is becoming widely available in many supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.
The residual heat from the pasta cooks the egg, creating a safe and creamy sauce. However, if you're concerned, use pasteurized eggs. Just make sure not to add the egg mixture while the pan is too hot, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs!
Still hungry? Try these next:
- Creamy Gochujang Noodles
- Ultimate Kimchi Egg Sandwich with Spicy Bacon and Avocado
- Tahini Gochujang Salad Dressing (Your New Secret Sauce)
One-Pot Kimchi Carbonara
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed pot or wide skillet with a tight fitting lid
- Cutting board and knife
- Small mixing bowl and whisk
Ingredients
- 150 g dried pasta
- 4 slices bacon
- 125 grams kimchi
- 1 teaspoon gochujang
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- boiling water as needed
- green onions optional
Instructions
- Chop the bacon and kimchi.
- Add the bacon to a large, heavy bottomed skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the bacon slowly, while moving it around regularly to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Once the bacon is cooked to your liking, assess the amount of grease in the pan. If there is a lot of grease, remove some of it with a paper towel.
- Add the chopped kimchi to the bacon and cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Remove the bacon and kimchi from the pan, and turn the heat up to high on the burner.
- Add the pasta to the pan, followed by enough water to almost/barely cover the pasta. Stir to deglaze the pan and mix all the brown bits into the water.
- Add a pinch of salt, being careful not to add too much because the water is going to reduce, and become saltier throughout the cooking process.
- Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for the time instructed on the package. Keep an eye on things and add more water throughout the cooking process if needed.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the “sauce” by whisking the egg, gochujang, and parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Set aside.
- When the pasta time is up, taste the pasta for doneness. It may need an additional 1-2 minutes.
- When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat completely. There should only be a few tablespoons worth of water remaining. If there is much more than that, continue to cook with the lid off to evaporate some of the water.
- Add the bacon and kimchi to the pasta, and add the egg mixture. Stir and swirl the pan until the egg mixture and the pasta water form a creamy sauce. You may need to add an additional splash of hot water to adjust the consistency. This should take 1-2 minutes. If the sauce isn’t thickening, turn the heat back on to low, and gently cook until the sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately with an additional sprinkle of parmesan cheese and an optional pinch of sliced green onions.
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