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This gochujang pasta combines spicy Korean gochujang paste with cream and parmesan for a silky, warming comforting sauce that coats the pasta.
Ready in about 15 minutes, it’s an easy meat-free meal. Great for a quick and satisfying midweek dinner.
Nicky’s Notes
I know it kind of looks like a bowl of pasta mixed with a tin of Heinz tomato soup, but I promise you it’s not 😆
This is a smooth, creamy-spicy sauce made with Gochujang paste, lots of garlic, a hint of tomato, cream and Parmesan. It’s quick and simple to prepare, and it’s so very very tasty.
I like it with rigatoni but you can use any pasta you like – long, short, dried or fresh.
Eat as it is, or serve with chicken or salmon for some additional protein.
I can’t stop making this pasta!!!!
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for Gochujang Pasta
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
What is gochujang?
- Gochujang (<– aff link) is a Korean spicy-sweet paste made from red chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It’s very thick and quite sticky with a deep red colour.
- Be sure to go with a Korean brand (usually in the Asian aisle) and not one of the glass jar supermarket-own-brand-versions.
- I mainly use it for marinades, spicy sauces for coating chicken (see my Korean fried chicken) and stir-frys, but combining it with cream and parmesan give you a silky, warming comforting sauce.
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, fry onion, garlic, salt & pepper. Add Gochujang, tomato puree (paste in USA), and soy sauce. Stir and add cream and Parmesan and heat. Drain pasta, add a cup of pasta cooking water to the frying pan with the pasta and a knob of butter. Stir and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Save around 2 cups of the pasta cooking water. You’ll need at least one of the cups to add to the sauce. The starchiness of the pasta water helps the sauce to stick to the pasta and also loosens the sauce (which would be very concentrated without it). You can add more pasta water to loosen further if needed.
- Adding a knob of butter at the end adds richness, aids emulsification of the sauce and adds a nice glossiness.
I like to top with an extra sprinkling or Parmesan, sesame seeds and spring onions before serving.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
This dish is amazing just as it is, but if you wanted to add extra protein or crunch, try one or more of these:
Make ahead and Leftovers Guide
- I don’t recommend making this recipe ahead as it tastes best when eaten right away.
- Leftovers can be saved. Cool, cover and refrigerate, then reheat until piping hot in the microwave or in a pan with a lid, on low. You may need to add a splash of water to loosen the sauce, and I would also add a little extra cream and parmesan, as it loses some its creaminess upon reheating.
📺 Watch how to make it
Gochujang Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g (14oz) pasta shapes or spaghetti I like rigatoni
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion peeled and finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp gochujang paste
- 3 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce light or all-purpose
- 100 g (1 cup) Parmesan, grated/shredded
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
To Serve:
- Small bunch of spring onions scallions finely chopped
- Grated/shredded parmesan
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in a large pan of water for 1 minute less than the pack instructions. Once cooked drain and reserve around 500ml (or approx. 2 imperial cups) of the pasta water.400 g (14oz) pasta shapes or spaghetti
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat.1 tbsp oil
- Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.1 onion
- Add the garlic, salt and pepper and stir together for 30 seconds.5 cloves garlic
- Add the gochujang, tomato puree and soy sauce. Cook for two minutes, stirring often.3 tbsp gochujang paste, 3 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA), 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- Add the Parmesan and cream and stir together.100 g (1 cup) Parmesan, grated/shredded, 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
- By now the pasta should be ready. Drain the pasta, reserving around 500ml (or approx. 2 imperial cups) of the pasta cooking water.
- Add half of the pasta cooking water to the pan and stir with the gochujang. Add the pasta and the butter to the pan too.1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Toss the pasta in the sauce and allow to cook together for one minute, so the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Add more pasta water if you wish to loosen up the sauce further.
- Divide between four bowls and top with spring onions (scallions), Parmesan and sesame seeds.Small bunch of spring onions, Grated/shredded parmesan, Sesame seeds
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🍲 More spicy pasta recipes
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