Cream Cheese Ramen

• hidangan: 1 serving

Bahan-bahan

1 instant ramen noodle brick (not from cup ramen), soup packet discarded

1 tablespoon butter

2 ounces cream cheese, cubed

3 tablespoons shaker Parmesan or freshly grated, plus more if desired

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

Any desired additional toppings (see Tip)

Arahan

Step 1

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil. Add the noodle brick and cook for about 90 seconds until the strands are separated and loose but still slightly underdone. Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, remove noodles to a serving bowl but keep the noodle water in the pot.

Step 2

Pour out most of the noodle water, leaving about ⅓ cup in the saucepan. Over low heat, add butter, cream cheese, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper to the remaining noodle water. Stir to incorporate and melt the cream cheese into the liquid until the sauce is uniform and smooth.

Step 3

Turn off heat. Add the cooked noodles back to the pot and gently fold into the sauce. Return the finished noodles to the serving bowl. Top with more Parmesan, cracked pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, along with any desired additional toppings.

Nota

Rather than use fancy Parmigiano-Reggiano, we prefer the saltier (and more convenient) green shaker Parmesan. If you have Pecorino Romano on hand, use that to approximate cacio e pepe.

The recipe above is a starting point: Add sauteed sausage or pepperoni. Rather than brick cream cheese, you could use half a round of Boursin or four wedges of Laughing Cow cheese. Try adding Everything Bagel seasoning mix, flakes of smoked salmon, and a squeeze of lemon juice for a noodle-take on lox-and-cream cheese bagel. One of our favorite versions: Folding in tinned tuna at the end and crumbling potato chips on top.