I like thick noodles. And the bestest, thickest noodle of all of them is udon. And one of many bestest methods to make udon is that this udon carbonara.
I like udon a lot that Mike and I took a pilgrimage to the birthplace of sanuki udon in Japan so we may eat ALL the chewy thick noodles. It was superb.
We’re actually noodle lovers. A lot in order that we wrote a 272 web page love letter to noodles within the type of our very first cookbook collectively, That Noodle Life. It comes out April 12, 2022 and you may pre-order it in the present day to get a free NOODLES NOODLES NOODLES tote as a bonus!
Udon is the last word noodle
For those who’re going to reside that noodle life, it is advisable have udon in it. The most effective factor about udon is that it’s a noodle that’s effectively suited to absolutely anything. It holds up completely in soup, stir fries like a boss, and is superb in basic Italian pasta dishes. The chewy toothsome fill-your-mouth wholesomeness of udon paired with silky clean tacky eggy carbonara sauce is the noodle pairing you by no means knew you had been lacking.
Udon carbonara: the last word carbonara
When you will have a great carbonara you understand it in your bones. The tacky, creamy, completely emulsified sauce is stuffed with taste. The nuggets of salty crispy pork intensify the savory cheesiness of the sauce. Every part comes collectively into one excellent flavor-filled wealthy and peppery word. This carbonara is superb. Dare I say the last word?! The shiny golden sauce clings to the additional plump strands of udon. The guanciale is crisp and explosive. It’s simply so good, I’ve no phrases.
Why is that this carbonara sauce so good?
Whereas recipe testing for our e-book, we made so many batches of carbonara that we purchased eggs by the flats and complete guanciale cheeks. Finally we got here up with these guidelines:
- Yolks solely: An all yolk carbonara sauce is essential. Egg whites and yolks prepare dinner at totally different temperatures as a result of their differing fats content material. Utilizing solely yolks offers you a lot extra management and no scrambled eggs. Aerating the yolks and actually whipping air into the together with the cheese permits the sauce the emulsify and disperse evenly round your noodles.
- Two sorts of cheese: Any Italian will let you know that you just want each Parmesan and Pecorino. Parmigiano-Reggiano, constituted of cow’s milk, will give your carbonara an intense umami word. Pecorino Romano, constituted of sheep’s milk, provides saltiness and depth. For those who can, get the cheese that’s imported from Italy, it’s the actual deal.
- Guanciale, please: There are carbonara recipes on the market made with pancetta and we get it – guanciale isn’t a choose it up at your native nook grocery retailer form of ingredient, however it’s so definitely worth the particular journey. When rendered, guanciale fats is aromatic, candy, savory, and never too salty.
What sort of udon?
Our favourite form of udon is sanuki udon. Sanuki udon comes from the Kagawa space of Japan and is sq. with flat edges. It’s tremendous chewy, thick, and has the very best texture. You possibly can simply discover sanuki udon within the freezer part of Asian grocery shops. It often is available in a 5 pack, precooked, imported from Japan.
All of the noodles want is a fast tub in boiling sizzling water to heat them by. Since they’re already cooked, they don’t want lengthy within the boiling water, we’re simply heating them by and getting a little bit of starch from the noodles into the water to thicken up the sauce.
Guanciale vs pancetta
We name for guanciale on this carbonara as a result of it lends a slight sweetness that pairs effectively with the cheeses. Biting right into a crisped up dice of guanciale is biting into pure scrumptious pork goodness. For those who can’t get your fingers on guanciale, go for pancetta, however the entire sort so you’ll be able to minimize it into sizable cubes.
- Guanciale: salt and spice cured pork cheeks. Guanciale tends to be fatter and has a extra strong taste as a consequence of an extended treatment. Barely candy as a result of curing course of.
- Pancetta: salt and pepper cured pork stomach. Pancetta is a tiny bit much less fats in comparison with guanciale and leans extra in direction of the saltier facet.
How one can make carbonara udon
Carbonara udon goes a lot the identical manner as basic carbonara.
- Make the sauce. Whip up room temp egg yolks with finely shredded parmesan, pecorino, and freshly floor pepper. Use a big bowl and a whisk to essentially whip it up, aerating the thick combine as a lot as you’ll be able to.
- Crisp up the guanciale. You don’t want so as to add any further fats to the pan, simply pop in giant cubes of guanciale right into a dry pan over medium low warmth and flip the cubes as wanted, rendering out the fats and crisping up the nuggets of deliciousness. When crispy, take away the pan from the warmth.
- Prepare dinner the udon. Briefly heat up the udon in boiling water. When sizzling, scoop the udon immediately from the pot of boiling water into the pan with the guanciale and fats, coating the udon within the rendered fats.
- Toss. Scoop out 2 tbsp of sizzling udon water into the bowl with the egg and cheese. Whisk effectively to emulsify and mix then add the sauce to the pan. Place the pan over low warmth and toss the udon with the sauce, loosening with further udon water if wanted, till coated and shiny.
- Take pleasure in. Plate it up, prime with further cheese and pepper and slurp away!
I actually hope you give this carbonara udon a attempt! Additionally, as soon as once more, if you wish to pre-order That Noodle Life, you may get a NOODLES NOODLES NOODLES tote free of charge!
noodles perpetually,
xoxo steph