I eat a lot of instant ramen and have since I was a kid. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a classic bowl of steamy, spicy noodle soup but sometimes I get bored. The instant noodles have a great texture and bounce when chewed which led me to think, “what if I used these noods for other, perhaps nontraditional preparations?” Thus the “alt ramen” idea was born.
I have 3 dishes in my “alternative ramen” repertoire that stay on repeat. Those are Cacio e Pepe, a ramen “salad” type thing, and ginger scallion noodles. Each dish is suuuuper simple to whip up and the ingredients can be affordable, or a little more lavish – do you!
For those of you who would like the stand alone recipes, I’ll provide them below. For my visual people, I’ve provided a link to watch a cook-along type video. Cook on!
*Cacio e Pepe Ramen…*
* 1-2 packages Instant Ramen noodles
* 1-2 tbsp Cracked Black Pepper
* 1-2 cups Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
* Kosher salt to taste
*Ramen Salad…*
* 1-2 packages Instant Ramen noodles, chilled
* 1 egg
* 1-2 cups Chopped vegetables of choice
* Fresh soft herbs to garnish
*Ramen Salad Vinaigrette…*
* Juice of 2 Limes
* 1 tsp Soy Sauce
* 1 tsp Honey or other sweetener
* 1/ 2 – 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
* 1/ 2 cup or so Grapeseed Oil (or other neutral oil like Canola)
* 1/ 2 tsp Fish Sauce (optional)
* Kosher Salt to taste
*Ginger-Scallion Ramen Noodles…*
*1-2 packages Instant Ramen noodles, chilled*
*1 large bunch Scallions (5-6 scallions)*
*1/ 2 cup Ginger, minced*
*1/ 2 cup Grapeseed Oil (or other neutral oil like Canola)*
*2 tsp Soy Sauce*
*1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar*
*1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil (optional)*
*Toasted Sesame Seeds to garnish*
*Kosher salt to taste*
^(***Check packages for weight amount and adjust recipe accordingly… or just go for it using the knowledge you now have from the video. You got this.)
**3 Creative Ways to Cook Instant Ramen -** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGWbhBsyoC0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGWbhBsyoC0)
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