This Creamy Kimchi Alfredo Pasta is easy to make and will be your new favorite way to eat kimchi! Ready in less than 30 minutes! Gluten-free option included.
Lately, I have been obsessed with all things Korean, and I felt called to include a Korean-Inspired dish on the blog.
This vegan kimchi alfredo pasta has the classic cashew cheese base, but with a spicy twist from the fermented kimchi. It may sound fancy, but it's quite easy to make. Perfect if you want to impress, without a mess.
What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish. It's made from a combination of vegetables (usually cabbage, radish, and carrots), garlic, ginger, chili peppers, salt, and fish sauce. Kimchi is pretty much like next-level sauerkraut. It's tangy, sour, and spicy, and has a nice umami flavor.
Ingredients
- Fettuccine. We love using fresh pasta for the best flavor, but you can use regular fettuccine as well. However, use gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Kimchi. Either homemade or store-bought.
- Raw cashews. Be sure to soak your cashews beforehand. This will ensure a creamy base!
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk. We like to use soy milk, but any plant-based milk will do. You can also use water.
- Nutritional yeast. What is vegan kimchi alfredo pasta without some cheesiness?! Nutritional yeast definitely does the job, without the dairy.
- Mushrooms. We like button mushrooms, but you can use any mushrooms you like.
- Onion and garlic. Give great flavor to this dish.
- Soy sauce. Use tamari if you are gluten-free.
- Spices like salt, black pepper, and onion powder.
- Corn starch or tapioca starch. For thickening.
- Lemon juice. It helps to balance out the savory flavors.
- Sesame oil. I love cooking with sesame oil. because it gives a nice nutty flavor, but this recipe will work with any oil.
- Parsley and green onion. For freshness, plus color.
How to Make Kimchi Alfredo Pasta
First, heat sesame oil on medium-high heat. Add diced white onion and mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are lightly brown.
Next, add soy sauce, garlic, and kimchi. Cook for further 5-6 minutes.
In the meantime, make the alfredo sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the vegan alfredo sauce into the pot.
Then, add the cooked fettuccini pasta, parsley, green onion, and vegan parmesan (optional). Stir until well coated.
Finally, cook for 4-5 minutes or until the cashew sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
And voila! Your kimchi alfredo pasta is ready to serve.
When serving, I like to top this dish with more kimchi, parsley, green onion, and vegan parmesan. You can use regular parmesan such as Parmigiano Reggiano.
Storage
- Fridge: It's best to keep cooked pasta and the kimchi cashew sauce in separate containers. Combine before serving. This helps with the texture of the dish and ensures that the fettuccine will keep its shape.
- Freezer: This dish doesn't freeze well, but you can freeze cashew sauce for later! Pour it into a jar and freeze for up to 1 month. When you are ready to make this recipe, let the cashew sauce thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Add the pre-made sauce to a pot with a splash of water and bring to a simmer. Then, add cooked pasta and stir well. Serve.
Expert Tips
- Use well-fermented kimchi. This is a key thing when making this kimchi alfredo pasta. If your kimchi is well fermented it will be tangier and more flavorful, which will make this dish taste even better.
- If you forgot to soak your cashew the night before, boil them in a small pot for 10-15 minutes. They should be pretty soft in order to make a creamy sauce. When ready, drain and rinse well.
- Add more or less kimchi depending on how spicy and tangy you want it!
- Use gluten-free pasta if you need to make this recipe gluten-free.
FAQ
Traditional kimchi is not vegan, but you can find vegan kimchi in most Asian stores, depending on where you live. However, be sure to read the ingredients lists. Avoid things like fish sauce, shrimp paste, etc. And if you feel brave, you can make your own vegan kimchi.
You can use light coconut milk from a can, instead of making your own cashew cream. Or you can use a nut-free store-bought vegan cream.
This recipe is best when served fresh. If you want to meal-prep it, you can make the sauce 3 days in advance and mix it with the pasta before serving.
More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes
Vegan Mac and Cheese without Cashews
Healthy Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta
If you make this recipe, tag us on Instagram at @sunglowkitchen and hashtag #sunglowkitchen so we can see your delicious results!
Creamy Kimchi Alfredo Pasta
Equipment
- Stove top
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta (use gluten-free if needed)
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 small white onion, diced ( ~ 1 ½ cup)
- 7 button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ - ½ cup kimchi, roughly chopped
- A handful of parsley
- A handful of green onion, chopped
For the cashew alfredo sauce
- ½ cup cashews, soaked and drainer*
- 1 cup plant milk (we like soy)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon corn starch (or tapioca starch)
For serving
- 2-3 tablespoon vegan parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the packaging instructions. Drain. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoon oil to prevent sticking.
- To a medium pot, add sesame oil and heat. Once hot, add onion and mushrooms. Cook for 7-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the cashew sauce. Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- To the pot, add soy sauce, garlic, and kimchi. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the vegan alfredo sauce, pasta, parsley and chopped green onions. Stir until everything is well coated. Cook for further 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Serve immediately, topped with more parsley and vegan parmesan (optional).
Boris Sokachev says
Gorgeously filling. Made some yesterday and it was the perfect lunch for after my biking. Its also surprisingly fun to make, just putting everything together got me in the mood to watch some karate kid.
Petranka says
Hahaha. Love this!