It only takes a few extra minutes to turn packaged ramen up a notch.

“Cooking with instant ramen is all about ease and convenience. Think of this recipe as a template: Swap in any ground meat, tofu or leafy vegetable, and it’ll taste great,” says Peter J. Kim , the author of the Instant Ramen Kitchen cookbook.

His book contains dozens of twists on the pantry staple, like a carbonara or beef stroganoff-inspired ramens, so there is something for every palate. "Instant ramen, in general, is the great culinary unifier. Even a kid can make it, and it’ll be delicious enough to satisfy a top chef," Kim says.

This version was inspired by Tantanmen, a creamy ramen with ground pork, and hits a lot of the same notes, according to the food writer: "I love this recipe because it covers so many

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