A Cultural Crossover
Over the past few years, Asian food has grown in popularity around the world. It’s exciting to see more people gain interest in foods that a lot of us used to be embarrassed of. Tteokbokki is a Korean street food made with rice cakes, known as “tteok”, served in a sweet and spicy sauce. I tried this dish for the first time a few years ago, and I absolutely loved it. It’s packed with flavor, and the bouncy rice cakes absorb the flavors of the sauce so well. It’s delicious but also texturally fun to eat. I love finding inspiration in other Asian cuisines and blending them with European flavors. This is how I came to create this recipe for Carbonara Tteokbokki. Chewy bouncy rice cakes are served in a creamy, savory carbonara sauce. It’s tasty, simple, and a fun fusion of cultures.
Creating Carbonara
For this recipe, you’re essentially going to create a traditional carbonara sauce. Then instead of tossing it together with pasta, it’s mixed with tteok. First, add the egg yolks, pecorino romano, and black pepper into a bowl. Mix until it forms into a thick paste. Next, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the tteok to the pot and boil for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften. Reserve 1 cup of water then drain the tteok. Set the tteok aside.
Moving over to the stove, add the guanciale or beef bacon into a pan. Heat and cook over medium-low heat until the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp and golden. Remove the guanciale pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the tteoki into the pan and coat them in the fat. Cook for a few minutes to slightly crisp them on the outside.
A Quick Mix
In the meantime, begin whisking the egg mixture. While whisking, slowly stream in about a ½ cup of the hot pasta water into the egg mixture to temper it. Remove the pan from heat and pour in the egg mixture over the pasta. Mix and toss quickly until a creamy sauce forms. Add ¼-½ cup more pasta water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Mix in the crispy guanciale. Garnish with extra pecorino romano, black pepper, and chives.
This Carbonara Tteokbokki is the best of both worlds. The carbonara sauce is so rich and creamy. I personally love topping it off with some extra freshly cracked black pepper. It adds a nutty, peppery punch that compliments the richness of the sauce. The guanciale also adds a delicious salty bite. I think the tteok adds such a fun textural element and it absorbs the savory sauce so well. This Carbonara Tteokbokki is a tasty fusion of flavors and a reminder to be open to different culture’s cuisines!
Carbonara Tteokbokki
Ingredients
- 3 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 cup Grated Pecorino Romano (plus more for serving)
- ½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 10 oz Tteobokki Korean Rice Sticks (thawed)
- 4 oz Guanciale Cut into ¼ inch cubes or 2 slices Beef Bacon chopped into pieces
- Chopped Chives (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add the egg yolks, pecorino romano, and black pepper into a bowl. Mix until it forms into a thick paste.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the tteokbokki to the pot and boil for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften. Reserve 1 cup of water then drain the tteokbokki. Set aside.
- Add the guanciale or beef bacon into a pan. Heat and cook over medium-low heat until the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp and golden. Remove the guanciale pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the tteokbokki into the pan and coat them in the fat. Cook for a few minutes to slightly crisp them on the outside. In the meantime, begin whisking the egg mixture. While whisking, slowly stream in about a ½ cup of the hot pasta water into the egg mixture to temper it.
- Remove the pan from heat and pour in the egg mixture over the pasta. Mix and toss quickly until a creamy sauce forms. Add ¼-½ cup more pasta water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Mix in the crispy guanciale. Garnish with extra pecorino romano, black pepper, and chives.
