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20 Minute Ramen Carbonara…with Herb Buttered Corn!! This Italian meets Asian dish is such a fun twist on traditional ramen. Brown rice ramen noodles tossed with creamy Italian carbonara sauce, crispy bacon, and herby, buttery summertime corn. This simple recipe comes together in minutes using a mix of pantry staples, summer produce, and garden herbs. This ramen carbonara is a great, healthy…ish dinner for any night of the week.

20 Minute Ramen Carbonara

I thought we’d kick the week off with something different, something fun, and of course, something so delicious. Only way to start the week off right.

First things first, yes, I know this recipe is unusual, but everyone, hear me out. This carbonara is so good. Not quite Italian, and not quite Asian, BUT so good and really that’s all that matters, right?

I certainly think so, I’m pretty excited about this new quick and easy summer carbonara using my favorite noodle ramen.

For any of you who might be a little unfamiliar, carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish. It’s unique in that it uses raw eggs. Tossing the raw eggs with hot pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese creates a delicious sauce. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and produces the silkiest, smoothest, and creamiest pasta sauce. It’s melt in your mouth good. If you’ve tried my roasted cherry tomato carbonara from many summers back then you know just what I’m talking about.

Carbonara is one of my go-to pasta recipes on busy nights for two reasons. Reason one, I use ingredients I almost always have on hand. Reason two, it’s super quick to make and requires very minimal prep.

fresh basil, raw eggs, and uncooked ramen in a bowl before being prepared

Since I’m always making new versions of dishes I love, I figured it was time I switch up my carbonara. And why not have a bit of fun with the recipe at the same time…enter this ramen carbonara. It’s everything we all love about a classic Italian carbonara pasta, only instead of pasta, it’s made with ramen noodles. So…

It’s better?

Well, I’m not going to go that far and say it’s better, because I LOVE classic carbonara. But I also love this 20 minute ramen carbonara just as much.

20 Minute Ramen Carbonara in a bowl after being tossed together with eggs

Here are all the details.

Just like a classic pasta carbonara, the recipe starts with bacon. We crisp this up in a skillet until all the fat has rendered and the bacon is extra crispy. If you are vegetarian, or just prefer to not use bacon, that is totally fine. But I would recommend adding a drizzle of olive oil or butter to the dish to keep things saucy. Now, be sure to not skip the next step…

Since it’s prime time corn season, my fridge is currently stocked with at least 4 ears of corn on any given day. So tossing in  I  fresh corn kernels along with some crispy bacon was a no brainer. I added a touch of butter, some garlic, and lots of fresh basil and thyme. The corn caramelizes and becomes sweet, herby, and delicious. I found it particularly great with the parmesan favors happening through this recipe.

If you’re not a corn lover, spinach, zucchini, or even burst cherry tomatoes will also be terrific.

20 Minute Ramen Carbonara in a bowl being served

While the corn and bacon are cooking, whisk a couple of eggs with parmesan cheese and fresh basil. I like to do this in a large serving bowl with enough room to add all the cooked ramen noodles. This way you’ll dirty fewer dishes.

For the ramen, I LOVE this brown rice ramen, which is vegan and gluten-free. But you can use whatever your favorite brand of ramen is.

Now, it’s important to have the eggs mixed and ready to go before the ramen noodles are done cooking. Once the Ramen is finished, it needs to be drained and immediately tossed with the eggs. The heat from the noodles will cook the eggs and create that silky, creamy carbonara sauce. This step is really important, but don’t worry it’s also really easy. Just be sure to toss, toss, toss for a good minute until the sauce thickens and then you’ll have perfect ramen carbonara.

Add in the corn and bacon and serve up a few bowls of ramen carbonara topped with fresh herbs (I like basil and green onions), parmesan, and some black pepper too.

That’s it. Grab a fork. Chopsticks. Whatever utensil you please and enjoy.

Oh and major bonus? No need for an oven. Which is especially great since most of the U.S is experiencing crazy hot temperatures this week.

overhead close up photo of 20 Minute Ramen Carbonara

If you make this 20 minute ramen carbonara with herb buttered corn be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

20 Minute Ramen Carbonara with Herb Buttered Corn.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 3
Calories Per Serving: 233 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain onto paper towels. Add the oil or butter, corn, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the corn is golden. Stir in 1/4 cup basil. Remove from the heat.
    2. Beat together the eggs, parmesan, and remaining 1/4 cup of basil, in a large serving bowl.
    3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the ramen according to package directions, until al dente. Before you drain the noodles scoop out about 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
    4. Immediately add the hot noodles to the egg/cheese mixture, tossing quickly (to ensure the eggs do not scramble) until the eggs thicken and create a sauce. The heat from the noodles will cook the eggs. Thin the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches your desired consistency. Add the corn and bacon, gently toss to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt.
    5. Divide the ramen among plates and top with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
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20 Minute Ramen Carbonara with chops sticks pulling noodles out of bowl

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I know I say this about every one of your recipes but this is hands down my new favorite. Absolutely incredible flavor and super easy to make! Thank you for always sharing your recipes with us. I hope you have a great rest of your week!

    1. Hi Erin,
      Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks for your kind message and making so many recipes! xx

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe turned out soooooo delicious! My husband immediately said it’s a keeper. I’ve made a more basic carbonara with thin spaghetti but I am converted! Ramen is the way to go. This is pure comfort food. The prep is super easy and the basil and corn take the whole recipe up a few notches. Thank you for this new go-to recipe!!!

    1. Hi Sarah,
      Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! xx

  3. 5 stars
    We made this tonight with home made pasta and it was so good. The kids immediately said, im bot eating that green stuff (the basil) but one vite and they were shoveling it in! Ha! Will for sure make again. Took the intimidation out of carbonara, for sure. Thanks!

    1. Hey Jess,
      Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xx

  4. I make this recipe with turkey bacon and zucchini in place of the corn (my husband doesn’t care for corn) and it is delicious!

    1. Hey Julie,
      Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT

  5. 5 stars
    This was an awesome twist! Home alone and not really wanting to cook, but needed something comforting. I’m Italian so pasta is a go to for me. We are in the process of selling our house so my pantry is light on ingredients. So this definitely hit on all the notes! ☺️❤️ Thanks Tieghan for the cool variations.

    1. Hey Tammie,
      I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe is AMAZING and quick. I used frozen corn from Trader Joe’s and the flavor was incredible yet the meal was so light. The best part is the Parmesan rind was saved to use for the bolognese recipe (which is by far the best bolognese recipe I’ve used ever – you have to cook that one if you haven’t yet…..)

  7. 5 stars
    So quick and easy! I used a can of corn and dried basil because I didn’t have fresh on hand. Absolutely delicious.

    1. Hi Hilary,
      Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    The flavors in this recipe are just incredible, and it was soo easy to make. I used frozen corn (because it’s March) and it worked great. I don’t know how you come up with these creative and brilliant ideas but I cannot wait to make this again!!

  9. 5 stars
    This recipe is definitely a fam fave! Do you have an option to substitute the eggs? Just found out I have an egg intolerance. Thanks so much!

    1. Hey Cianne,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan

  10. 5 stars
    I cycle on and off of the keto diet not all of your recipes I can “ketoifiy” so whenever I’m off the first thing I do is make one of your recipes! My boyfriend always asks me if I’m making a half baked harvest recipe when he really likes the food. I’ve been eyeballing this one for a while and I’m certain it’s going to turn out great.

  11. 5 stars
    I’ve made many of your recipes in the last few months and I’m never disappointed. I find that the prep time is usually more than what’s listed but this one was spot on. I made your tomato carbonara which was amazing but the ramen noodles in this (I used fresh + turkey bacon) took it to another level. This was a definite favorite! I knew this wasn’t an authentic ramen recipe and wasn’t looking for that… I mean, the title is pretty obvious… I love your creativity!

  12. 5 stars
    I cannot tell you how much my husband loves this recipe. It is literally his favorite meal and he asks for it all the time lol! I’m lucky it’s simple and so, so good. I love that you feel free to think outside the box and create recipes by mixing techniques and cuisines to come up with original dishes. Never stop doing that! Sometimes I see people complain that the recipes aren’t “authentic” or something… never, ever let that get to you. They are authentically Tieghan! And we love you for that.

    1. Oh wow thank you so much!! I am really glad you both enjoyed this and I hope you continue to love other recipes of mine!! xTieghan

  13. 3 stars
    Please stop doing that … ramen carbonara, look bad, doesn’t look tasty at all, corn ???? seriously corn ??? with asian noodles …

    Please learn what is ramen and what is carbonara, none of them are here …

    OH my god !!!!

    PS : stop doing “cuisine” you’re not a chef or even a good amateur, at least you’re good to take photo, so stop cooking and made photo instead ;), do us a favor,

    1. Hey John! This is my blog where I create my own recipes.. No, they are by no means the original, but I state that in every post. I understand that you are most likely frustrated with something else, but please do not take it out on me. If you do not like my recipes, do not make them and if you do not like my posts, please do yourself a favor and don’t read them. I hope your day gets better from here. xTieghan