Breakfast Noodles Are Having A Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Moment

Have you ever woken up craving a big pot of pasta but found yourself thinking that you can't have it because it isn't breakfast food? Noodles are a common breakfast food in some parts of the world. For instance, in northern China, wheat noodles are a popular breakfast item, says China Highlights. While the idea of breakfast food is completely culturally relative, it can be hard to bring ourselves out of that mindset as Americans. But you no longer need to reserve pasta for lunch and dinner. 

To give a.m. pasta that classic breakfast twist, give it the bodega treatment and add bacon, egg, and cheese. This might sound a little suspect, but consider what ingredients the beloved pasta carbonara is made of: pancetta, which is often replaced with bacon, eggs, and parmesan cheese. For a more Americanized, breakfasty take on the dish, try cheddar or another mild cheese, keep the crispy bacon bits, and hold the garlic and herbs for a wholesome kick start to the day.

In a conversation with Food 52, recipe developer Olivia Mack McCool shared her take on egg and butter pasta that was born out of a need for sustenance during a food-adverse pregnancy phase. She employs similar techniques to traditional carbonara but makes some key changes. For instance, she uses short noodles, as opposed to the standard spaghetti. Shells, gemelli, and orecchiette are all great options. Additionally, she tosses the drained, cooked pasta noodles into a hot pan along with a large lump of butter. And, instead of whisking the egg in a separate bowl — as you might with typical carbonara — she cracks an egg directly in and then tops it with bagel seasoning to finish. 

America's Test Kitchen prefers a classic bacon, egg, and cheese (BEC) treatment on instant ramen noodles instead of pasta. Just as you'd make cheesy scrambled eggs, add eggs, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper into a mixing bowl and combine. Then add the mix to the drained ramen noodles in a hot pan — that will cook, but not scramble, the eggs — as well as some bagel seasoning. Then fry up some bacon until crispy and add it in. 

Suddenly, eating pasta first thing in the morning is no longer a craving to be ignored but a delicious, classic dish that you can't miss out on.