Miso Carbonara with Broccoli Rabe and Red-Pepper Flakes
This recipe offers a unique twist on classic carbonara, incorporating umami-rich miso and slightly bitter broccoli rabe with crispy bacon and spaghetti. It's a quick, flavorful dish that beautifully balances savory, salty, and slightly pungent notes, creating a rich yet nuanced pasta experience.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For cooking pasta and blanching broccoli rabe
- 1 Large Skillet or Dutch Oven For rendering bacon and combining the carbonara
- 1 Whisk For emulsifying the egg and miso sauce
- 1 Tongs For tossing pasta and ingredients
- 1 Box Grater For finely grating Parmigiano-Reggiano
Ingredients
Main
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 pound broccoli rabe trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound bacon about 7 slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
- 4 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus more for serving
- 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano about 1/4 pound, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil.
- Add spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.
- During the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking, add the trimmed 2-inch pieces of broccoli rabe to the pot to blanch.
- While pasta cooks, cook bacon strips in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy; remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet.
- Add smashed garlic cloves and red-pepper flakes to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant; remove and discard garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, white or yellow miso paste, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Before draining pasta, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water; drain pasta and broccoli rabe.
- Immediately add the hot drained pasta and blanched broccoli rabe to the skillet with the bacon fat (off the heat).
- Pour the egg-miso mixture over the pasta, tossing vigorously with tongs, gradually adding reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until a creamy, glossy sauce forms and coats the pasta.
- Stir in the crispy bacon, then serve immediately with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and black pepper, if desired.
Notes
The key to a silky carbonara is tempering the eggs: always add the egg mixture off the heat to avoid scrambling. Reserve ample pasta water; it's crucial for emulsifying the sauce and achieving the perfect consistency. The miso paste adds a profound layer of umami, deepening the flavor profile beyond traditional carbonara. Blanching the broccoli rabe in the pasta water not only saves time but also imparts a subtle bitterness that wonderfully balances the richness of the bacon and cheese. Serve immediately, as carbonara does not hold well.