Gochujang Butter Pasta (Printable)

Umami-rich gochujang butter coats spaghetti with garlic, soy, honey and sesame for a quick Korean-inspired pasta.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 200 g (7 oz) spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
06 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
07 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
08 - 60 ml (¼ cup) pasta cooking water

→ Garnish

09 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
10 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, and honey. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until well blended.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Pour in reserved pasta water and toss over medium heat until the sauce coats the pasta and becomes glossy, about 2 minutes.
05 - Divide between bowls. Garnish with spring onions, sesame seeds, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You'll find the buttery, spicy sauce is the kind of simple magic that's almost too easy to pull off.
  • If you didn't know comfort food could have a hit of gochujang heat, just wait until you tuck into your first forkful.
02 -
  • If you overcook the garlic, the sauce tastes bitter and loses its lush aroma.
  • That splash of pasta water is the hidden hero that makes your sauce stick instead of slide off the noodles.
03 -
  • The big skillet trick is vital: it gives enough room for tossing so the noodles don’t break.
  • A dash of sesame oil at the finish gives the sauce an extra aromatic lift that makes the kitchen smell incredible.
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