Thick, creamy, saucy and a little spicy gochujang pasta is better than spicy vodka pasta. This Korean-inspired pasta is spicy, tangy, and sweet and can be made in under 20 minutes!
Thick, creamy, saucy, and a little spicy gochujang pasta is better than spicy vodka pasta. This Korean-inspired pasta is spicy, tangy, and sweet and can be made in under 20 minutes!
Step aside spicy vodka pasta. This gochujang pasta is probably the tastiest pasta I have eaten recently. It is thick, creamy, and spicy with a splash of umami flavor. The best part about this recipe is that it is incredibly easy to make, made with a few pantry staples, and takes less than 20 minutes!
Nothing beats a quick and easy under-30-minute Korean pasta recipe. This creamy and spicy Korean pasta will immediately satisfy your pasta cravings and keep you coming back for more.
Colander: you will use a colander to strain the pasta.
Large Skillet: make sure to use a large and deep skillet that has ample room to toss the pasta in.
Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients for this gochujang pasta recipe at your local grocery market, Korean grocery market, or online!
Pasta: you can choose any pasta shape that you like! I recommend salting the water and cooking the pasta until al dente. Remember to reserve some pasta water to thin out the sauce if it gets too thick.
Garlic and Shallots: are the main aromatics of the pasta sauce.
Unsalted Butter: adds a richness to the sauce
Gochujang: is the star of the show! It adds a rich sweet, savory and spicy flavor to the sauce. You can find gochujang at your local grocery market or online.
Fish Sauce: adds a touch of umami flavor to the gochujang pasta sauce. I recommend using Three Crabs fish sauce.
Sugar: balances out the spice from the gochujang.
Heavy Cream: heavy cream is the base of this Korean pasta and it will thicken as you continue to cook it.
Parmesan Cheese: freshly shredded parmesan cheese adds a delicious cheesy flavor to the gochujang noodles
Green Onion: used as a garnish
Substitutions and Additions
These gochujang noodles can be customized based on your preferences. Want to make it a meal? Go ahead and add your favorite protein and mushrooms. Want a spicier sauce? Add more gochujang and gochugaru!
Substitutions
Milk + Cream: if you prefer a less thick and creamy sauce, I recommend diluting half of the heavy cream with regular milk.
Honey: instead of sugar you can use honey as the sweetener.
Additions
Korean chili flakes: if you want more heat to your pasta, you can add a dash of Korean chili flakes or gochugaru.
Protein: You can add any protein such as chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or fish. My miso salmon recipe pairs deliciously with this Korean pasta
Mushrooms: you can saute some mushrooms to add as well for a more robust umami flavor.
How to Make Gochujang Pasta
This gochujang pasta recipe is so incredibly easy to make and can be whipped up in under 20 minutes! Honestly, the hardest part is probably waiting for the pasta to cook.
Cook the pasta. Fill a large pot of water and salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Cook your pasta about 1 minute shy from package instructions or until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Saute the shallots and garlic. In a large skillet, melt your butter on medium heat. Then saute the minced garlic and diced shallots until golden brown.
Add gochujang. Next, add the gochujang. Stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes until combined. Cooking the gochujang will mellow out the heat from the spice.
Add sauces and heavy cream. Lastly, add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring the heat to medium-high heat and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
Add the pasta. Once the sauce thickens, cook the pasta and the sauce together for about 2 minutes. Add the pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed until the sauce has reached a creamy consistency.
Serve. Top the gochujang noodles with green onions and freshly shredded parmesan cheese and enjoy!
🎥 Recipe Video
Tips for the Best Gochujang Pasta
Saute the garlic and shallots on medium heat. This is an important step for a rich and robust aromatic flavor. Make sure to cook the garlic and shallots low and slow until golden brown and caramelized.
Cook the gochujang before adding the heavy cream. Cooking the gochujang toasts the chili paste and allows it time to mellow out the spice level.
Add more gochujang if you want a spicier pasta. If you prefer pasta that is spicier, I recommend adding another 1 tablespoon of gochujang or a teaspoon of gochugaru chili flakes.
Storage Instructions
These gochujang noodles are best served immediately. But, you can store this gochujang pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean fermented red pepper paste. It is made with sun-dried chili peppers and then thickened with glutinous rice. It is one of the most popular Korean ingredients and is used in a lot of Korean dishes.
What is the flavor of gochujang?
Gochujang has a sweet-hot-salty flavor. It is used in moderation to add a spicy depth and umami flavor to many types of Korean dishes. It is very concentrated and has a rich potent flavor. So a little goes a long way!
Where can I find gochujang?
Gochujang has become widespread and can be sold in almost every supermarket in the U.S. You can find it in the condiment aisle of any Korean market, in the “Asian” aisle in any American grocery store and it is readily available online on Amazon as well.
Thick, creamy, saucy and a little spicy gochujang pasta is better than spicy vodka pasta. This Korean-inspired pasta is spicy, tangy, and sweet and can be made in under 20 minutes!
Cook the pasta. Fill a large pot of water and salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Cook your pasta about 1 minute shy from package instructions or until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Saute the shallots and garlic. In a large skillet, melt your butter on medium heat. Then saute the minced garlic and diced shallots until golden brown and fragrant about 3 minutes.
Add gochujang. Next, add the gochujang. Stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes until combined. Cooking the gochujang will mellow out the heat from the spice.
Add sauces and heavy cream. Lastly, add in the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and heavy cream. Mix until combined. Bring the heat to medium-high heat and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
Add the pasta. Once the sauce thickens, cook the pasta and the sauce together for about 1-2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add the pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed until the sauce has reached your ideal creamy consistency.
Serve. Top this gochujang pasta with green onions and freshly shredded parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Notes
Saute the garlic and shallots on medium heat. This is an important step for a rich and robust aromatic flavor. Make sure to cook the garlic and shallots low and slow until golden brown and caramelized.
Cook the gochujang before adding the heavy cream. Cooking the gochujang toasts the chili paste and allows it time to mellow out the spice level.
Add more gochujang if you want a spicier pasta. If you prefer pasta that is spicier, I recommend adding another 1 tablespoon of gochujang or 1 teaspoon of gochugaru chili flakes.
I made this within 30 minutes including boiling the pasta. I used 8oz of dry fettuccine which was just the right amount for the sauce as described in the recipe. Subbed coconut aminos for soysauce but otherwise followed the recipe and it came out great!
I made this within 30 minutes including boiling the pasta. I used 8oz of dry fettuccine which was just the right amount for the sauce as described in the recipe. Subbed coconut aminos for soysauce but otherwise followed the recipe and it came out great!