This Carbonara with Cheung Fun Noodles blends the rich, creamy yolk‑and cheese‑based carbonara sauce with soft, chewy homemade cheung fun, giving you the savoury depth of Italian carbonara in a slippery, Asian‑style noodle form. The crisp, salty guanciale clings to the noodles, while the Parmesan and pecorino add umami richness without a hint of cream. It is indulgent, comforting and surprisingly light‑textured, making it a fun, fusion‑style twist on a classic.
By John Javier
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes
Nutri‑Score B reflects a balanced, protein‑rich dish with moderate fat from the guanciale, cheese and egg, offset by relatively low sugar and some fibre from the rice‑based cheung fun noodles.
Per serving (approx.): 400 kcal, Fat 22g, Carbs 30g, Sugars 2g, Fibre 1g, Protein 18g.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cheung fun noodles
- Vegetable oil spray
- 60g rice flour
- 1 tsp wheat starch
- 1 tsp tapioca starch
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Pinch salt
Carbonara
- 15ml vegetable oil
- 80g chopped guanciale
- 180g cheung fun noodles (see above)
- 1 free‑range egg, plus 1 yolk
- 30g Parmesan, finely grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 30g pecorino, finely grated, to serve
Customise
- Swap guanciale for pancetta if it is hard to find, keeping the same crispy, salty texture.
- Use a vegetarian smoked bacon‑style alternative to keep the smoky flavour while making the dish meat‑free.
- For a lighter version, reduce the quantity of Parmesan and pecorino or use a lighter Parmesan‑style hard cheese.
- If you prefer a runnier, creamier finish, add a little more of the reserved noodle cooking water to the egg‑cheese mixture before tossing with the noodles.
- To make a gluten‑free version, double‑check that the guanciale and any cheese you use are certified gluten‑free.
Method
1. Making the cheung fun noodles (10–15 minutes plus steaming)
- Spray two 13cm x 18cm metal trays with vegetable oil spray so the rice batter does not stick to the metal.
- Add the rice flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch, vegetable oil and salt to a bowl along with 500g water and mix until smooth.
- Pour 60g of the batter into each tray and ensure it spreads evenly in a thin layer.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and place a bamboo steamer on top large enough to fit the trays, then steam the trays for 5 minutes until the batter sets into a soft, translucent sheet.
- Remove the trays from the steamer, roll the cooked rice sheets into long tubes and let them cool and set slightly before cutting each tube into 3 cm rolls to use as cheung fun noodles.
2. Frying the guanciale (3–5 minutes)
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the chopped guanciale.
- Fry the guanciale for 2–3 minutes until it turns golden and crisp, stirring once or twice so it cooks evenly, then keep it warm in the pan.
3. Cooking the cheung fun in the carbonara (5–7 minutes)
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the cheung fun noodles for about 2 minutes until they feel soft but still chewy.
- Drain the noodles, reserving some of the cooking water, then add the cooked cheung fun to the pan with the guanciale.
- Combine the egg, egg yolk, grated Parmesan and about 50g of the reserved cooking water in a bowl and whisk until smooth and slightly creamy.
- Turn the heat under the pan down to low and add the egg mixture to the noodles and guanciale, stirring constantly until the sauce coats everything and reaches your desired creamy consistency without scrambling the egg.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately, topped with finely grated pecorino so it melts slightly into the warm noodles.