Welcome back to another post for my food blog! This post is all about Korean-Italian FUSION, baby. My very first for this category. Woohoo! Today, I’ve made for you an original recipe that I call “Creamy Italian Ddukbokki”. It is basically taking a cream pasta and marrying it together with a traditional Korean dish: Ddukbokki. Together, they form the ultimate fusion dish that calls for big celebration and spotlight. Let’s delve deeper into it, shall we?
The creaminess comes from the mixture of the different cheeses and the heavy cream (of course). I used a mixture of Cheddar & American (for color), and Parmigiano Reggiano (one of my favorite cheeses). Normally, I don’t like cream pastas. However, when I order it at a restaurant with my wife or friend, I always end up eating the whole thing (and even licking the plate afterwards). Thus, I decided this creamy style sauce would be PERFECT to incorporate into a ddukbokki dish.
I added some pancetta & fennel in order to add a nice Italian flare, as well as some nice flavor & texture. The freshly ground black pepper and lemon zest helps cut the fattiness of this dish and really contributes to the overall balance in texture and acidity.
I hope you really enjoy the depth of flavor and overall balance in texture and acidity in this dish. As with all of my recipes, I really thought it out carefully and revised it a couple times to produce this amazing final product: Creamy Italian Ddukbokki. When I first introduced it to my family, they absolutely devoured it! (My grandma was found scraping every last drop of the sauce after everyone finished). They simply loved it. I hope and long to see the same kind of love, joy & happiness in you as well, after you try it. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get it!
Rice Cakes – You may use frozen (just have to thaw it out before using), but I’d recommend using freshly made garaetteok (either homemade or store-bought)
Pancetta – Provides fatty flavor + Italian element
Onions – Depth of flavor
Fennel – For added texture, flavor and Italian element
Garlic – Aromatic flavor
Chicken Stock + Heavy Cream – for the creamy sauce base
Cheese – Cheddar, American & Parmigiano Reggiano (for flavor and added color)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – for a nice kick (optional)
Lemon zest – for garnish and acidity
Freshly ground Black Pepper – for garnish & taste
Fennel Leaves/Parsley – for garnish (optional)
Creamy Italian Ddukbokki
This ultra smooth and creamy variation of ddukbokki is a winner! Add some fennel and pancetta in there for an Italian twist? Yummm!
Ingredients
- 8 oz rice cakes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 oz pancetta, cubed
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 oz onion, diced
- 1 oz fennel bulb, diced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded cheeses (Cheddar/American/Parmesan)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, for kick (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Lemon zest, for garnish (optional)
- Fennel leaves/parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
First, thaw out your rice cakes and soak them in cold water (skip this step if using freshly made garaetteok). We only need about 1/2 lb of rice cake. If you’re using freshly made garaetteok like me, go ahead and cut them into nice and small pieces (however you like them to be) and set aside for later.
Now, let’s prepare our veggies. Dice your fennel bulb & your onion (save some of the fennel leaves for garnish, if desired). You only need about 1-2 oz of each, respectively, so store the rest in a zip lock bag or air tight container for another time. Mince your garlic cloves.
In a large wok or sauté pan, start by cooking your cubed pancetta in some olive oil on med-high heat for about 2-3 minutes, until fat is rendered.
From there, add in your diced onions & fennel and cook those down for about 3 minutes, until translucent in color. Add your minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until you get a nice aromatic fragrance.
Next, add in your stock, heavy cream, and rice cakes and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Throw in your cheese mixture to thicken your sauce further and add some flavor. You may add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for some kick (optional). Stir for another 2-3 minutes.
Taste and season with salt, only if desired (I found that extra salt is not necessary as the cheese, stock, and pancetta provides plenty of salt). Turn off the heat.
Plate it. Top it with some freshly ground black pepper, lemon zest, fennel leaves/parsley, and enjoy!
Notes
Lemon zest is essential to this dish in order to cut into the heaviness from the cream & pork fat and also to add some fresh acidity.
Please let me know what you think in the comments section below. And don’t forget to tag me on instagram @yang.yummm when you share your finished product! I guarantee you’ll love it.
Thank you! See you next time.
Kathy Yang
January 24, 2022 at 10:41 pmHi I can’t wait to try the creamy Italian ddukbokee!!