This recipe for Carbonara Tteokbokki is a fun and delicious modern twist on Italian carbonara using Korean rice cakes. It features chewy and bouncy cylindrical rice cakes coated with a rich and creamy egg-based sauce.
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What is carbonara?
Carbonara is a traditional homey Roman Italian dish of pasta, eggs, cheese, cured pork (guanciale) and black pepper.
Guanciale is cured pork made from pork jowl/cheeks.
It can be difficult to find guanciale, so you can use any cured pork such as bacon or pancetta.
What is tteokbokki?
Tteokbokki is a traditional Korean dish of chewy rice cakes (tteok) simmered in a sweet and savory gochujang sauce.
The rice cakes (tteok) are made of rice.
Gochujang is a red pepper paste that is a staple in Korean cuisine.
You can find fresh rice cakes (tteok) in the refrigerator section in Asian or Korean grocery stores.
Alternatively, you can also find frozen rice cakes.
What is carbonara tteokbokki?
Simply put, carbonara tteokbokki is a modern fusion dish (made popular on social media) consisting of Korean rice cakes (taking the place of pasta) in a rich and creamy carbonara sauce.
I took inspiration for this dish from my friend Lis from The Subversive Table. Her version is eggless, so if you're looking for an egg-free version, check out her recipe.
Why you'll love this recipe
Simple and easy to make: This recipe is a simple and delicious meal that can be whipped up with minimal ingredients.
It's a delicious light meal on its own, or the perfect snack to accompany other dishes.
Clean out the fridge meal: use what you have on hand to add flavor to the dish.
Ingredients you'll need
- cylindrical rice cakes: also known in Korean as tteok, you can find them in Korean or Asian supermarkets
- egg yolks: just the yolks, which will give the carbonara richness
- heavy cream: to loosen the egg yolk mixture; or whole milk
- black pepper: freshly cracked
- parmesan cheese: grated
- vegetable oil: for sauteing the garlic
- garlic: grated; you can also use garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic on hand
- pancetta/guanciale/bacon or ham; guanciale is traditional, but you can use any cured pork; here I used leftover ham from Easter
- reserved hot cooking liquid: from cooking the rice cakes, which have residual starch that helps bind the sauce to the rice cakes
How to make it
Add refrigerated rice cakes to a colander or sieve and rinse under running cold water.
Drain and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cream, black pepper and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.
Add in the rice cakes and cook for a few minutes, until they float to the surface, about 5 minutes (add extra time if cooking from frozen).
In the meantime, heat up 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add in the grated garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add in the pancetta (or bacon/guanciale/ham) and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner.
Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer the cooked rice cakes into the frying pan (it's OK if some of the water drips into the pan). Reserve about ¼ C of the hot cooking liquid.
Toss the rice cakes with the garlic and pancetta mixture.
Remove the pan off the heat and pour in the egg yolk mixture, quickly stirring to coat all the rice cakes (as to not scramble the egg).
Add some of the reserved hot cooking liquid to loosen to your desired consistency.
Serve immediately with additional cracked black pepper and chopped cilantro (or parsley).
Substitutions & other additions
You can change up the ingredients with whatever you have on hand.
Try adding Italian sausage instead of bacon.
Add mushrooms, onions, and other veggies to bulk it up.
Garnish with chives, green onions, or parsley.
Spice it up with gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes).
If you can't find cylindrical/tubal rice cakes, you can use flat rice cakes (which are oval in shape), or pasta instead.
Expert tips & FAQs
This recipe moves quickly so make sure all the ingredients are prepped beforehand.
I did not add any additional salt or soy sauce to this dish as the cured pork I used was already salty. You can adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Can I make a larger batch?
Yes, however it is best to make this recipe in smaller batches, which will give you better control over the timing of the heat and pouring in the eggs.
What does carbonara tteokbokki taste like?
This version is chewy and bouncy, with a rich, creamy and predominantly savory sauce.
What's the difference between tteokbokki and rabokki?
Rabokki is a variation of tteokbokki with the addition of ramen noodles.
Other delicious recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Tteokbokki (Korean Rice Cakes in Gochujang Sauce)
Korean Loaded Fries With Bulgogi Beef & Kimchi
Korean Seaweed Rice Snacks (Bugak)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Carbonara Tteokbokki
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 1.5 C cylindrical rice cakes Korean tteok
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream or whole milk
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ C parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 oz pancetta or guanciale, bacon or ham
- ¼ C reserved hot cooking liquid
Garnish: (optional)
- cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Add refrigerated rice cakes to a colander or sieve and rinse under running cold water.
- Drain and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cream, black pepper and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.
- Add in the rice cakes and cook for a few minutes, until they float to the surface, about 5 minutes (add extra time if cooking from frozen).
- In the meantime, heat up 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add in the grated garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add in the pancetta (or bacon/guanciale/ham) and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner.
- Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer the cooked rice cakes into the frying pan (it's OK if some of the water drips into the pan). Reserve about ¼ C of the hot cooking liquid.
- Toss the rice cakes with the garlic and pancetta mixture.
- Remove the pan off the heat and pour in the egg yolk mixture, quickly stirring to coat all the rice cakes (as to not scramble the egg).
- Add some of the reserved hot cooking liquid to loosen to your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately with additional cracked black pepper and chopped cilantro (or parsley).
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Neil
What an excellent twist on the classic Carbonara recipe. Looks delicious Michelle!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I am loving all of the tantalizing flavors and textures of your fabulous carbonara. This truly is one decadent comfort food dinner!
David @ Spiced
You had me at carbonara! What a fun fusion meal. I bet this didn't last long in your house!
2pots2cook
Must be delicious! Love your twist Michelle!
Raymund | angsarap.net
This carbonara tteokbokki recipe sounds interesting and delicious. I like the idea of using Korean rice cakes in place of pasta in the traditional Italian carbonara sauce. It seems like a simple and easy meal to make with minimal ingredients, and I appreciate the flexibility in substitutions and additions to suit personal tastes.