Gochujang Pasta
My obsession with Korean flavours continues!
This time, we’re using gochujang to make pasta!
Along with a few other key condiments, gochujang is something I always have in my fridge. This spicy Korean paste is my secret to a dish with punchy and complex flavours. Just a dollop (or two) of gochujang would do most of the work for you!
This dish tastes like you’ve put in a ton of effort into it, but can genuinely be put together in 15 minutes if you choose your ingredients wisely.
Here, I’m using a can of tuna for my protein, and some torn Kale and purple Perilla for fibre and colour. (I’m using the Kale and purple Perilla from my Grobrix!)
A shaving of cheese, a squeeze of lemon (both totally optional) and boom, you have a dish to impress!
THE RECIPE
SERVES 2
Ingredients
Pasta of choice, for 2 pax
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
3-4 large basil leaves, torn
1.5 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Gochujang paste
2 cans tuna flakes in oil, drained
A handful of kale, torn
Cracked black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
Garnish: perilla leaves, basil, cheese for grating
Directions
In a pot of salted water, boil the pasta to your desired texture. Reserve ~¾ cup of pasta water before draining it.
In a pan heated over low-medium heat, sautée the minced garlic till fragrant, but not coloured. Add in the torn basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook for 1 min.
Add in the tomato paste, Gochujang paste, and thin it with half the reserved pasta water. Mix well to ensure both pastes dissolve completely.
Where needed, add more pasta water so the sauce doesn’t dry out, though keep some for the end. The consistency you’re going for should resemble regular tomato sauce.
Add in your protein of choice and mix well till it is heated through.
Season to taste (usually I don’t need to add any salt cause of the Gochujang, but you do you!)
Turn off the heat, add in your vegetables of choice and stir through for it to wilt in the residual heat.
Serve with grated cheese, black pepper, and some fresh basil. Fresh perilla would be great here too!
Note
If you’d like, you can add capers for complexity.
Substitutions for:
Protein: pork mince, prawns, sausage, pan fried tofu
Vegetables: frozen peas, sliced leeks, julienned carrots, baby spinach
Nutrition
Per serving
Calories: 411kcal
Carbohydrates: 53g
Protein: 28g
Fat: 8.3g
Sugar: 8g
Sodium: 619.02mg
Fibre: 3.4g