This gochujang pasta recipe is a delicious fusion of creamy tomato sauce with spicy Korean flavors. It's an easy 30-minute weeknight dinner featuring gochujang paste in a velvety sauce topped with an optional sesame breadcrumb topping. This is comfort food at its finest!
After seeing so many positive reviews for my copycat recipe of Carbone's spicy rigatoni, I knew it was time to share another favorite dish: gochujang pasta! It follows a similar method to a classic vodka sauce (but without the vodka!) with the addition of gochujang, a Korean fermented chili paste.
The resulting pasta has the most luscious sauce and is just as easy to make. For more spicy pasta recipes, try my gochujang pasta e ceci, calabrian chili pasta, or pumpkin pasta sauce.
Key Ingredients
Gochujang: As I discuss in more detail in my gochujang pasta e ceci recipe, gochujang is a spicy Korean paste made from gochugaru, glutinous rice, and fermented soybeans. You can find it at many local Asian markets, Hmart, and large grocery stores! I typically select a mild version so I have more control over the level of spiciness.
Green onions: I like topping the dish with some green onions for freshness! You can also use chives.
Pasta: Use any kind of short pasta shape you like, such as lumache, rigatoni, or fusilli.
For a full list of ingredients and their quantities, please refer to the recipe card.
Variations
- For a dairy-free option, try subbing the butter for vegan butter, the cream for full-fat coconut milk (or your favorite creamy plant-based milk such as cashew milk or barista-style oat milk), and the parmesan cheese for vegan parm. Avoid almond milk or rice milk here.
- Want it spicier? Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Looking to add in some veggies? Try throwing in a handful of baby spinach or sauteed mushrooms.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Finely dice a shallot and grate 2 garlic cloves. Set a large pan over low heat and melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add the alliums with a tablespoon of water, and stir, frequently, until nicely softened.
Step 2: Stir in the gochujang and tomato paste for a couple of minutes until the paste turns brick red. By now, the pasta should be boiling; cook until al dente according to package instructions, saving some pasta water to add to the sauce later.
Step 3: While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the heavy cream, and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon; the color will transform from salmon pink to bright orange when done.
Step 4: Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan, and stir to coat with the parmesan cheese, adding some reserved pasta water as needed to loosen up the sauce. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the pasta clings to the sauce. Top with scallions and the optional sesame breadcrumbs (see instructions below), and serve immediately.
Step 5 - Prepare the optional breadcrumb topping: Add olive oil to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds, and toss to coat. Once the they've both browned nicely, remove from the heat and stir in the garlic. Season with salt and top the pasta.
Expert Tip
For the glossiest sauce, make sure the cream reduces and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon!
Recipe FAQs
If you're new to working with this condiment, I recommend going with a mild version (you can always add more spice, but it's hard to take it away). For more details, check out this post from America's Test Kitchen on the different varieties you can choose from.
I don't recommend making this in advance, as the pasta can dry out in the fridge. That said, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
For sure! Try adding a little bit of cooked shrimp or chicken. For a vegetarian option, some white beans would be great on the side.
You can use it in place of any spicy condiment when cooking, but I especially love it in these cookies (yes, cookies!) and glazed eggplant dish. For more tips on how to play with different ingredients, check out my post on how to build flavors in cooking.
Other recipes you might like:
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Gochujang Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dried short pasta, such as lumache, rigatoni, or fusilli
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, very finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon water
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon mild gochujang paste*, plus more if desired
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup loosely packed grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
For the sesame breadcrumb topping (optional):
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- Salt
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 4 ounces dried short pasta according to package instructions until just before al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain pasta.
- Cook the alliums: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over low heat.Add 1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon water, and saute for 5 - 8 minutes until they are soft (but not brown) and translucent. Season with a pinch of salt.Note: If the onions begin to brown at all, add a splash of water and lower the heat.
- Add the pastes: Over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon mild gochujang paste* and 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Cook down for about 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently until any remaining moisture evaporates from the puree. The paste should darken to brick-red and begin to stick to the sides of the pan.
- Simmer: Whisk in ½ cup heavy cream. Simmer for 5 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and transforms from salmon pink to bright orange.Note: Don't be afraid to let the cream sauce simmer and thicken! It's an essential step to ensuring a glossy, vibrant sauce.
- Finish the sauce: Season sauce with salt, and reduce heat to low. Stir in 2 tablespoons of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese¼ cup loosely packed grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and the cooked pasta into the sauce.
- Loosen the sauce with a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water, then reduce for 1 - 2 minutes until the sauce looks glossy and clings to the pasta. If needed, add more pasta water to achieve your desired consistency.Taste and season again with salt and additional gochujang paste if desired.
- Divide amongst serving bowls, and top with the sliced scallion, remaining cheese, and sesame breadcrumbs (if using). Serve immediately and enjoy!
For the sesame breadcrumbs (optional):
- Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Stir in ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, and toss to coat. Toast breadcrumbs and seeds until nicely golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated 1 garlic clove. Season with salt, then top the pasta and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
So easy, so delicious, I made it two nights in a row - also the ingredients are inexpensive, but it feels like you're eating like royalty. 10/10 pasta!
So, so happy you liked it!
Love the creaminess of this sauce! It's a warming and spicy bowl of deliciousness 🙂
So happy to hear that, Daniel!