Easy Ramen Carbonara
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You’ll love this Easy Ramen Carbonara, it’s a creamy, cheesy twist on classic Italian comfort food. Made with simple pantry staples and ready in just 20 minutes, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner that feels indulgent but is totally fuss‑free. With crispy bacon, sweet peas, and savory Parmesan, it’s a creamy ramen carbonara you’ll crave again and again.
Carbonara is a favorite in my house. We make my Pasta Carbonara pretty often. It’s at the top of my list for Italian comfort food! I first whipped up this easy Ramen version when I was craving carbonara and I had no pasta in the house except a few packets of Ramen. I figured, what the heck, let’s give this a try! The result? A quick ramen carbonara that has now become our go‑to way to make carbonara.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ramen noodles – Take out the noodles and discard the ramen seasoning pouch (or save it for another use)
- Bacon – Chop the bacon into small pieces before cooking. You can substitute with diced pancetta.
- Onion – Sauteed onion adds a little extra flavor.
- Frozen peas – This is an American addition to traditional pasta carbonara. I like it because it slips some vegetables in without the kids complaining but you can skip if you prefer.
- Eggs – The eggs make the rich creamy sauce that will coat the pasta.
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese – You’ll want to use fresh grated Parmesan cheese for this recipe, not the shelf-stable stuff, because it needs to melt into the pasta.
- Salt & Pepper – A little salt and pepper finishes the dish perfectly. Make sure you are careful with the salt as the Parmesan cheese is already pretty salty.
Instructions
- Thaw the peas. Place the frozen peas in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the bacon. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it’s crispy and golden, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet.
- Sauté the onion. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook in the bacon grease for 3–4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the ramen noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook just until tender, about 2–3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set noodles aside.
- Make the carbonara sauce. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to temper the eggs—this helps prevent scrambling.
- Combine and toss. Immediately return the drained noodles to the warm skillet (off the heat) with the onions. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and toss well to coat the noodles, letting the residual heat cook the sauce until it’s creamy and clings to the noodles. If you need to loosen the sauce you can add a little of the remaining reserved pasta water at a time, tossing the pasta until it is the consistency you are looking for. You probably won’t need all of the reserved water.
- Add the bacon and peas. Add the bacon and thawed peas and gently toss them with the creamy pasta.
- Serve warm. Divide the ramen carbonara between bowls and top with extra Parmesan and black pepper, if desired.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Reserve pasta water—it helps the sauce cling and smooth out texture.
- Temper eggs properly—adds heat slowly to avoid scrambling.
- Work off‑heat—the residual stove warmth cooks the sauce gently.
- Use fresh Parmesan—grated fresh gives a creamier texture than pre‑grated.
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Ramen Carbonara
Easy Ramen Carbonara is a simple pasta dish of creamy, cheesy bacon & peas, and ramen noodles that you can whip up in 20 mins.
Ingredients
- 3 packages Ramen noodles, discard flavor packets
- 5 slices Bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup Diced onion
- 1 cup Frozen peas
- 2 large Eggs
- 3/4 cup Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the frozen peas in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it’s crispy and golden, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook in the bacon grease for 3–4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook just until tender, about 2–3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set noodles aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to temper the eggs—this helps prevent scrambling.
- Immediately return the drained noodles to the warm skillet (off the heat) with the onions. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and toss well to coat the noodles, letting the residual heat cook the sauce until it’s creamy and clings to the noodles. If you need to loosen the sauce, you can add a little of the remaining reserved pasta water at a time, tossing the pasta until it is the consistency you are looking for.
- Add the bacon and thawed peas and gently toss them with the creamy pasta.
- Divide the ramen carbonara between bowls and top with extra Parmesan and black pepper, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 535kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 1963mg, Potassium: 323mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 577IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 267mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
