Kimchi Carbonara
Published Aug. 1, 2022
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Coarse kosher salt
- 1pound thick spaghetti
- 4tablespoons salted butter
- 1small shallot, minced (1 tablespoon)
- 6medium garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
- 1tablespoon minced ginger
- ¼cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
- 1teaspoon black pepper
- ½cup diced napa cabbage kimchi
- ¼cup kimchi juice (see Tip)
- 3large egg yolks, at room temperature
- ½cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1cup red spinach or regular spinach, thinly sliced
- Gochugaru (Korean red-chile flakes), for sprinkling
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
651 calories; 22 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 90 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 521 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the shallot. Cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Step 3
Deglaze the skillet by adding the white wine and stirring to loosen any browned bits, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper. Let simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
- Step 4
Slip the kimchi into the skillet and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss well to coat.
- Step 5
Once the pasta is incorporated, remove from the heat, add the kimchi juice, egg yolks and cheese, and toss vigorously to coat the pasta. If the pasta seems dry, add some reserved pasta cooking water. Divide among four bowls and top with the spinach, more Parmesan and a sprinkle of gochugaru.
- If your kimchi doesn’t have enough accompanying juice, Ms. Meyer suggests squeezing the kimchi a bit to wring out more. The kimchi will also lose a bit of juice after it’s chopped, so make sure to use that as well.
Private Notes
Comments
The borders of the culinary world may be smaller than you think. Some comments complain about the authenticity of this carbonara. Poland would seem farther from Korea than Italy. I have a recipe for Haluski that combines egg noodles with sauerkraut fried in butter. Hmm, sounds a bit familiar. Perhaps we should judge a recipe for its taste, rather than its genealogy.
Made tonight, really good. Pay no attention to the kvetches who say it’s not traditional.
This is great - I didn’t add the spinach on top. Yes, it needs the egg yolks, it’s a take on carbonara. If you don’t like the egg yolks, make another recipe.
Wow. So my spouse would never eat kimchi in a million years, but this recipe sounded so good. I’m not ashamed to admit I made it without telling him what was in it. He said it was the best pasta dish I’d made in a long time, “packed with zesty flavor.” I subbed the wine with mirin and a smidge of rice vinegar, and lots of nutritional yeast instead of parm. I only had kale on hand but I crisped a little up in my air fryer to fold in at the end and sprinkle on top. Even without the parm, it was so creamy. I concur with others who mentioned the saltiness. If you’re using heavily salted pasta water at the end, I think you could do away with adding salt to the onions/garlic/ginger.
Have made this a couple times now and absolutely obsessed, even if italians are rolling in their grave over this recipe. I made it with bacon and used bucatini as the noodle which has a good bite to it. 10/10 would recommend.
A nice surprise. It captures all tastes. I was hesitant after reading negative comments and glad we gave it a shot. After all, food is a universal language, and this recipe resonated well with me.