I first saw this creamy Gochujang pasta recipe trending online. I had never thought to use Gochujang in a pasta recipe and definitely never thought to use it within a creamy, cheesy sauce.
Table of Contents
Why you should make this recipe
The result of adding a little Gochujang with garlic, parmesan, cream and pasta water, makes the richest, spicy, yet creamy pasta sauce. The flavour is so complex withminimal effortfor this trending recipe.Does it get any easier than using 5 ingredients and only 10 minutes of your time? It’s hard to compete with.
Other Gochujang recipes you should. try after this one: Gochujang Noodles (Spicy Korean Noodles), Turkey Mince Recipe with Rice (Gochujang Fried Rice) and Gochujang Turkey Noodles
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is also known as Korean BBQ sauce and is a fundamental ingredient in Korean dishes. It’s a thick red paste made from chillies, fermented soybeans, rice, and salt. Some versions of this spicy, sweet sauce use dried chilli flakes or chilli powder instead of chillies to provide a similar kick of heat.
The paste has a deliciously sweet yet spicy flavour and is often in sauces, marinades, and soups that need a taste boost. Its thicker consistency means that it is mixed with another liquid in most recipes to make it easier to use.
Where can I buy Gochujang?
It is becoming more widely used so you can find it in most large supermarkets. If your local supermarket fails to supply them, try visiting your local Asian food store.
Ingredients
Gochujang Paste
It provides the most prominent flavour, helping turn the dish into a sweet, spicy recipe.
Parmesan
A salty, cheesy, umami-packed flavour bomb that completes this Korean cream pasta.
Single cream
A little single cream goes a long way here. When combined with pasta water and parmesan, we achieve the best creamy, cheesy foundation for our Gochujang to thrive on.
Spaghetti
You can use your favourite pasta shape here. I chose spaghetti as I think it really pairs well with our creamy Gochujang sauce. Tagliatelle would work well, along with fusilli or spirali pasta.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make creamy Gochujang pasta
- Start by adding the spaghetti to heavily salted pasta water. Set your timer to 2 minutes minus the packet time. Then to a large/ deep pan, add the olive oil, chilli flakes and garlic. Gently fry on a (very) low heat for around 2 minutes (Image 1).
- Next, add the Gochujang paste into the pan to fry for a couple of minutes (Image 2).
3. Loosen the sauce with 2 ladles of pasta water and continue to cook over low heat (Image 3).
4. Once reduced, ensuring that the Gochujang sauce isn’t boiling (reduce/turn off the heat) (Image 4).
5. Then add the cream into the pan with the parmesan. Stir to form a creamy sauce, adding another ladle of pasta water (Image 5).
6. Add the undercooked spaghetti into the pan and stir to combine, gently heating as you stir. The pasta water should thicken into an emulsified cheesy sauce. Keep adding pasta water as necessary and once the pasta is fully cooked, serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of parmesan (Image 6).
Serve with tenderstem broccoli and mushrooms sauted with fry light (place in 5 meal prep containers).
What to serve with this recipe
Whilst this Gochujang paste recipe does have over 20g of protein, to ensure we have a balance of nutrients, pair this recipe with your fave veggies. I chose to air fry some mushrooms and tenderstem broccoli.
Other veggies/sides that would work well with this creamy Gochujang pasta: , Air Fryer Green Beans, Mange-tout, Chinese cabbageand Green side salad
If you want to add more protein to this recipe: Seared turkey steaks, Turkey mince, Pork mince, Crispy pan-fried firm tofuand Shredded chicken breast
Tips for best results
- Cook the pasta until al dente, as it will continue to cook when you add the sauce.
- Make sure you reserve some pasta water, before draining the cooked pasta. You can use this water to loosen the creamy sauce and pasta in case the sauce becomes too thick.
- Adjust the amount of Gochujang paste according to your preferred spice level and taste.
- You can add additional protein to this recipe, eg chicken or fish as both will go equally well.
FAQS
Can I reheat this recipe?
Yes you can! To prevent drying out when reheating, add a tbsp or two of water into the bowl with one serving. Pop in the microwave for two minutes, stirring once after 1 minute. Serve with an extra sprinkle of parmesan and a sprinkle of chilli flakes, if you wanna really turn the heat up. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes, for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature overnight. Then, follow the steps above to reheat and enjoy.
What type of pasta is best for this recipe?
I love the spaghetti with the cream Gochujang sauce, but you can use any type of pasta for example, linguine, fettuccine, fusilli and even orzo.
Is Gochujang very spicy?
The level of spice depends of the brand and also which Gochujang paste you buy. Always start by using a little in the sauce to try and spice up depending of your taste.
Other quick dinner recipes you should try out…Halloumi Pasta, Crispy Chilli Chicken (Healthy Fakeaway Chinese) and Spicy Chili Oil Ramen Noodles
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If you tried this Creamy Gochujang Pasta recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Creamy Gochujang Pasta
by Mimi Harrison
4.53 from 167 votes
Prep Time: 3 minutes mins
Total Time: 12 minutes mins
£0.77
mains
Korean
Freezable
Servings: 5
MetricUS Standard
Make this creamy Gochujang pasta in under 10 minutes. This is a trending tiktok recipe that you don’t want to miss out on.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Gochujang paste (£2.50/5)=(£0.50)
- 100 g parmesan (£1.60)
- 150 ml single cream (£1.10/2)=(£0.55)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 500 g spaghetti £0.80
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp chilli flakes, optional
Method
Add spaghetti to heavily salted pasta water. Set your timer to 2 minutes minus the packet time.
To a large/ deep pan, add the olive oil, chilli flakes and garlic. Gently fry on a (very) low heat for around 2 minutes.
Next, add the Gochujang paste into the pan to fry for a couple of minutes, before loosening with 2 ladles of pasta water.
Ensuring that the Gochujang sauce isn’t boiling (reduce the heat), add the cream into the pan with the parmesan. Stir to form a creamy sauce, adding another ladle of pasta water.
Add the undercooked spaghetti into the pan and stir to combine, gently heating as you stir. The pasta water should thicken into an emulsified cheesy sauce. Keep adding pasta water as necessary and once the pasta is fully cooked, serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of parmesan.
Serve with tenderstem broccoli and mushrooms sauted with fry light.
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente and as when you add the sauce the pasta will continue to cook.
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust the thickness of the sauce/spaghetti.
- Adjust Gochujang paste to taste and consider serving with some additional protein such as chicken or fish.
Nutrition
Servings: 5 servings
Fat: 15g
Calories: 546kcal
Carbohydrates: 81g
Protein: 21g
