20 Minute Gochujang Pasta
This quick and easy pasta is one for the spicy savory fans out there! Our 20 Minute Gochujang Pasta is our Korean take on a simple pasta recipe that’s ready fast, and packed full of flavor!
We’re adding another simple and delicious pasta to our list, one with a little Korean flair! Our 20 Minute Gochujang Pasta is a super simple but flavorful pasta for a light meal or pasta side dish! It’s quick and easy with just the right amount of kick from this staple Korean condiment.
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta – We love the fun (and sauce clinging!) shape of cavatappi pasta, but you can use any of your favorites!
- Gochujang – This chili paste is a staple in Korean cooking, and one that we absolutely love to use in our Asian-inspired recipes!
- Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar – This adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce that is a delightful balance to the spicy gochujang.
- Garlic and Onion – Staples for a majority of our savory dishes!
- Ground Ginger – A great complimentary flavor to it all.
- Milk – We use 2% milk for this, but you can of course make it even creamier by using cream.
- Butter and Oil – The mix of both helps to keep anything from burning, but you can of course use all of either, instead.
- Salt and Pepper – To season, of course.
- Chives – To finish the dish. You can also use green onions.
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang comes from the Korean words gochu “red pepper” and jang “sauce.” It is a red chili paste staple in Korean cooking. It is made up of red chile pepper flakes, glutinous rice, and fermented soybeans. It is a thick and sticky paste that can be used to add a ton of umami flavor and just the right amount of heat to almost any dish, from entrees to dips and soups. This paste is used during cooking to either help compliment the flavors of the dish, or even to stand alone, like in this dish.
You can usually find it in a major grocery store in the Asian foods section, and definitely in an Asian market. Keep it in the fridge after it’s been opened and then you can keep it in the fridge for up to a year, which makes it one of those great, long lasting condiments since a little can go a long way in flavoring a dish.
Easy to Make
We love this gochujang pasta recipe because it is ready so fast and is so simple to make. While your pasta of choice is cooking, then it’s just a matter of heating butter and oil, sautéing the onion an garlic, adding the paste, spices and milk to make the sauce, and then adding the cooked pasta.
Be sure to keep a little bit of that starchy pasta water to add to the sauce, too. That’s what’ll help cling that gochujang sauce to the noodles!
After a couple of minutes of the sauce cooking (and clinging) to the pasta, top it with some fresh chopped chives, and you’re in business!
20 Minute Gochujang Pasta, perfectly coated with a subtly sweet and just the right amount of kick.
Recipe Tips
This is what helps make this recipe so fast and easy. Get that pasta water on first and then once the pasta is in and cooking, the recipe goes quickly from there.
We really like using a combination of both when sautéing the onions and garlic bc we find it helps prevent burning (the olive oil increases the smoke point) and together they add more flavor than each on their own.
The addition of that starchy pasta water is what helps that gochujang sauce cling to the pasta.
Once you add that pasta to the pan, at first the sauce will seem loose, but let it all simmer together in the pan for a few extra minutes and it’ll all come together and coat the pasta beautifully.
These gochujang noodles do have a subtle, flavorful heat to them, but it’s not overpowering. The rice vinegar helps to cut some of that heat and add just a little bit of sweetness. It’s not a super spicy pasta recipe, but also not for anyone who doesn’t like any level of heat.
You Also Might Like
- Instant Pot Gochujang Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Kimchi Sloppy Joes
- Kimchi Grilled Cheese
- 10 Minute Peanut Noodles
- 20 Minute Sweet and Spicy Noodles
- 15 Minute Garlic Fried Noodles
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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20 Minute Gochujang Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb cavatappi pasta or your favorite!
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- chives
- 2 teaspoons salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Boil Pasta: Heat a pot of salted water on high and bring it to a boil. Add pasta and set timer for the al dente cook time according to package. See recipe notes for fresh pasta.
- Create Sauce: While pasta is cooking, add butter and oil to a large saute pan and heat over medium. Melt the butter and then add onion and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add gochujang, seasoned rice wine vinegar, and ginger and mix well. Sauté for another minute. Slowly add milk, whisking as you add. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Just before the pasta is done, add 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the sauce.
- Add Pasta: Once done, drain the pasta and add to the pan. Turn heat down to med-low, turn pasta in the sauce to coat, and let simmer in the sauce for another couple of minutes until the pasta is al coated with the sauce.
- Serve: Remove from heat and finish with fresh chopped chives or green onions and enjoy!
I am confused. Where or when do you add the milk? Did I miss something?
Hi Kelly! Nope, it said “mix” instead of milk, but it’s updated now, sorry about that! Enjoy!
Wow! I love how easy and delicious this recipe is.