Miso Carbonara with Corn – Definitely not your traditional carbonara! This dish combines the creamy silky pasta and lightly crisp bacon – that we are accustomed to in a carbonara – with an Asian twist of miso and corn to add a hint of umami and sweetness. It uses pretty staple pantry ingredients, and it’s super simple to whip together in just 15 minutes. I love carbonara and I love miso corn as a side dish, so I figured why not combine the two?! Haha. The dish is finished with a sprinkle of Japanese furikake (a mixture of seaweed, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, and dried egg). Hope you are all safe and doing well! Work has picked up quite a bit, but it’s nice to take a breather to cook and relax!
Recipe:
In a large bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp light miso paste, 1 cup of finely grated/shredded parmesan cheese, and ½ tsp ground black pepper.
Heat ½ cup of yellow corn in about ½ cup of water for 5-6 minutes, drain, and set aside.
Boil a pot of water and cook about 8 oz thin spaghetti (about ½ the package) (or whatever long pasta shape you prefer). Cook pasta slightly past al dente, which would be about 8-10 minutes. Taste to test texture.
While the pasta is cooking, chop about 6-7 thick strips of bacon into batons and throw them onto a cold skillet/pan. Turn to high heat and render out the bacon fat. You’re aiming for slightly crispy and chewy pieces of bacon, not overly crisp or crunchy. Turn off the heat. The bacon should leave a nice sheen of oil on the bottom of the pan.
With tongs, transfer the pasta into the pan with the bacon. Add a splash of pasta water and toss to coat the pasta with the rendered bacon fat.
After about 1 min, add in your egg-cheese mixture and stir continuously. The residual heat & steam from the pasta will cook your eggs. Do not do this step over ANY heat source (not even on low heat), or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs instead of a thick creamy sauce! (I’ve made that mistake too many times to count).
After your pasta is evenly coated, stir in your corn and toss gently.
Serve on a plate, and garnish with fresh ground black pepper, white sesame seeds, more parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of furikake seasoning! Enjoy!