This Gochujang Pasta is creamy, spicy, and SO saucy! It's made with 8 ingredients and is ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!
This Gochujang Pasta recipe is every spicy food lover's dream! Something in the combination of al dente noodles tossed with a creamy gochujang sauce makes it irresistible.
I have a lot of pasta recipes on my blog, from Ravioli in Pomodoro Sauce to 20-Minute Saffron Pasta, to Kimchi Alfredo, just to name a few. But these saucy gochujang noodles are my favorite pasta recipe I've ever made.
They have the perfect balance between spicy, sweet, salty, and umami, and are made with minimal effort.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This gochujang pasta is ready in 20 minutes and it's perfect for when you're short on time.
- It's made with 8 ingredients that you probably have at home right now.
- It's packed with flavor and creaminess from the combination of gochujang and heavy cream.
- It's easy to make with minimal effort. No fancy methods.
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste that is an essential ingredient in Korean cooking. It's made with chilies, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt.
Gochujang is spicy, salty, earthy, and sweet. It has a thick and sticky texture and is most often used in Korean dishes to make marinades for meat and sauces. Its most popular uses are in dishes like vegetarian kimchi jjigae and tteokbokki.
Where Can I Buy Gochujang?
Nowadays, you can find it in the Asian section of most big grocery stores. If not, you always find it in your local Asian market.
You can also order gochujang on Amazon, or other online stores.
Ingredients and Notes
- Pasta: You can use any pasta shape you like, I am using large rigatoni here. It's best to choose pasta that has a rough exterior, which will help the sauce stick to it.
- Heavy cream: This is what will make the gochujang pasta creamy and help the sauce come together. It also mellows down the spiciness from the gochujang paste.
- Gochujang paste: As mentioned above, this is a fermented Korean chili paste that has a unique flavor. You can find it in most Asian markets.
- Butter: To sauté the garlic and toast the gochujang paste.
- Parmesan: It helps thicken the sauce and adds flavor and cheesiness.
- Smoked paprika (optional): I find that a little bit of smoked paprika adds a nice kick of flavor, but it's optional and this recipe will be just as delicious without it.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
Substitutions
- Cream: You can use lactose-free heavy cream or cashew cream if you want to make this recipe dairy-free. If you don't have cream, you can use milk and a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
- Butter: You can use olive oil instead.
- Parmesan cheese: Substitute with vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Pasta: You can use ramen noodles or rice noodles instead.
How to Make Gochujang Pasta
Step 1: Cook pasta for 1 minute shy from what the packaging says, until al dente. When ready, reserve ½ cup of pasta water, and drain the rest. Add the pasta to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Set aside.
Step 2: In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it starts to sizzle, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring very often, or until fragrant.
Step 3: Add gochujang paste and stir. Toast the paste for 1-2 minutes, or until it darkens in color and caramelizes a little bit.
Step 4: Then, add the heavy cream and half of the reserved pasta water. Stir until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and smoked paprika (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer.
Step 5: Add the cooked pasta to the creamy sauce, alongside the grated parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is well coated about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Remove from the heat and give it a taste test. Add more salt or black pepper if needed, or more pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce.
Serve this gochujang pasta immediately with more parmesan cheese on top and a few sprinkles of fresh parsley (optional).
👩🏼🍳 Petra's Tips
- Use high-quality pasta. Bronze-cut pasta releases more starch into the pasta water and later absorbs more of the sauce. You also want to choose a pasta type with a rough exterior so the sauce can stick to it. In general, the better your pasta, the better the final dish.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. It will continue to cook when it gets tossed with the sauce, so set a timer for 1 minute less than the time on the package instructions.
- Save some of the pasta water. Have you ever wondered how the sauces in Italian restaurants are so smooth and creamy and stick to the pasta? Well, pasta water is the secret. Because it has starch from cooking the noodles, it makes the sauce super creamy and coats the pasta very well. I use this trick in all of my pasta recipes, including my miso mushroom pasta and vegetarian rasta pasta.
- Toast the gochujang paste. Toasting the gochujang paste in oil or butter is an essential step when making this gochujang pasta. It caramelizes it and gives it a nutty flavor, while also adding sweetness to the sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this gochujang pasta is moderately spicy, but you can adjust the spice level. If you want to make it less spicy, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of the gochujang paste with 1 tablespoon tomato paste. And if you want to make it spicier, add 1 more tablespoon of gochujang paste.
Although it's an essential ingredient, you can substitute it with double-concentrated tomato paste and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, which will make it similar to vodka pasta without vodka.
Gochujang paste is made with Korean chilies, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt. Surprisingly, glutinous rice doesn't contain gluten and is safe for individuals with celiac disease. However, some brands of gochujang include barley malt, which is not gluten-free, so make sure to always check the ingredients before buying.
Yes! Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Stovetop: Add your pasta to a small pot, alongside a splash of water. Heat on medium-low heat, stirring often, until hot.
Microwave: Add pasta to a plate, and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot, stirring halfway through.
Variations
- Add protein: You can add your favorite protein like chicken, prawns, shrimp, cubed tofu, or crispy air fryer tempeh. Cook the protein in a separate pan and add it to the gochujang pasta in the last step.
- Add vegetables: This recipe would be delicious with peas, sauteed kale, spinach, broccoli, or bok choy. Blanch the veggies in another pot and add them to the pasta in the last step.
- Make it vegan: You'll need to use vegan butter or olive oil, cashew cream or full-fat coconut milk, and vegan parmesan cheese.
- Optional garnishes: To give even more flavor to this dish, you can top it with a few drops of toasted sesame oil or chili garlic oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, or some chopped green onions. A squeeze of lime juice would also be delicious.
Serving
I love to pair this gochujang pasta with something high-protein like gochujang tofu, smoky tofu, or these Italian-style tofu meatballs.
If you're craving something fresh, try this fall sweet potato salad or this arugula, spinach, and avocado salad.
For more ideas on what to serve with pasta, check out my roundup of ravioli side dishes, which includes side dishes for all types of pasta.
Storage & Freezing
- Fridge: Let gochujang pasta cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. If the pasta and the sauce are stored separately, they can last for up to 6 days. If they have been mixed, they will keep for 3-4 days.
- Freezer:
More Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Gochujang Pasta Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
BEST Gochujang Pasta
Equipment
- A large pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb (250g) pasta of choice (I use large rigatoni; use gluten-free if needed)
- ½ cup pasta water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil plus more for coating the pasta
- 2 tablespoon butter (use olive oil or vegan butter if needed)
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoon gochujang (add 3 tablespoon if you like it really spicy)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or vegan cream or full-fat coconut milk from a can)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan, and more for serving (use vegan parm if needed)
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and season with salt. Once it comes to a boil, add the pasta, stir and cook for 1 minute shy from what the packaging says, until al dente.1 lb (250g) pasta of choice
- When ready, reserve the pasta water, and drain the rest. Add the pasta to a bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Set aside.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it starts to sizzle, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring very often, or until fragrant. Add gochujang paste and stir. Toast the paste for 1-2 minutes, or until it darkens in color and caramelizes a little bit.1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon butter, 4-6 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tablespoon gochujang
- Then, add the heavy cream and half of the reserved pasta water. Stir until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and smoked paprika (if using) and bring to a gentle simmer.½ cup pasta water, 1 cup heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Add the cooked pasta to the creamy sauce, alongside the grated parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is well coated, stirring often.¼ cup freshly grated parmesan, and more for serving
- Remove from the heat and give it a taste test. Add more salt or black pepper if needed, or more pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce.
- Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese on top and a few sprinkles of fresh parsley (optional).
Notes
- Use high-quality pasta. Bronze-but pasta releases more starch into the pasta water and later absorbs more of the sauce. You also want to choose a pasta type with a rough exterior so the sauce can stick to it. In general, the better your pasta, the better the final dish.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. The pasta will continue to cook when it gets tossed with the sauce, so set a timer for 1 minute less than the time on the package instructions.
- Save some of the pasta water. Have you ever wondered how the sauces in Italian restaurants are so smooth and creamy and stick to the pasta? Well, pasta water is the secret. Because it has starch from cooking the noodles, it makes the sauce super creamy and coats the pasta very well.
- Toast the gochujang paste. Toasting the gochujang paste in oil or butter caramelizes it, and gives it a nutty flavor. This is an essential step to add flavor and sweetness to the sauce.
- Fridge: Let leftover gochujang pasta cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. If the pasta and the sauce are stored separately, they can last for up to 6 days. If they have been mixed, they will keep for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Sam says
Really is the best gochujang pasta! Super easy to make on after a long work day especially. I probably make it weekly now. I made it for a friend once who normally hates anything spicy but now he makes it every week too.
Petranka says
So happy to hear you like the recipe, Sam!
Anne says
Great recipe!
I subbed cream cheese and half and half for the heavy cream because I was cleaning out my fridge. Also had romano instead of parm for the same reason.
I will be making this again!
Petranka says
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Anne!
Max says
Love it! I want to try making it with noodles as well. What kind of noodles would you recommend?
Petranka says
You can use any ramen noodles you like, Max. 🙂