Gochujang pasta: a sweet, salty, spicy delight that you can whip together in 10 minutes

Sometimes I forget how easy it is to cook a pasta dish in minutes and serve it in bowls. It seems like such an easy, obvious choice, when there’s always an alternative new and exciting option to cook and eat. Yet with a bowl of pasta everyone is happy and well fed within minutes.

Cooking doesn’t always have to be complicated. I do regularly make a pasta sauce with several different vegetables, herbs, red wine and garlic. It simmers on my hob for almost an hour before I blitz it smooth and then fold it through the pasta. It’s so handy to have in the freezer, but not something I whip up in minutes. It’s something I make when I have a little time and a lot of vegetables.

This is such a quick and easy dish. I often have it for lunch, and it works with all types of pasta

This delicious creamy gochujang pasta ticks so many boxes. It’s got so much depth of flavour. It’s familiar, with creamy Parmesan undertones, with warmth and umami deliciousness from the gochujang. You can add textural interest and a further boost of salty deliciousness with some crispy bacon lardons.

Lately I’ve been posting a series on fermented, probiotic rich foods on my Instagram account. So many people are now becoming increasingly aware of their gut microbiome, but are not confident on how to use fermented foods. I love kimchi, sauerkraut and do all sorts of fun fermented projects. Cheese and kimchi are so good together in omelettes, loaded kimchi fries or toasted sandwiches.

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One of kimchi’s key ingredients is the distinctive gochujang paste. I always have a few tubs of the thick, sticky paste in my fridge for making kimchi, but it is also really handy for adding flavour to stir fries and soups. This pasta dish is yet another way to use it.

Gochujang is available in tubs from most larger supermarkets and Asian stores. It is sweet, salty and spicy all in one. This is such a quick and easy dish. I often have it for lunch, and it works with all types of pasta but intricate coils of cavatappi do a great job of clinging to that creamy sauce. Serve this with some quick steamed broccoli or spinach for a fast, easy and delicious dinner.

Recipe: Pasta with gochujang

Lilly’s kitchen tips

• Soak dried pasta in cold water for 30 minutes before cooking, if you have time. This will speed up the cooking process and it will cook as fast as fresh pasta.
• Be careful with seasoning when you’re adding salted pasta water to sauces. As always, taste first, then season.
• If you want to make this vegan, use nutritional yeast and coconut milk in place of the Parmesan and cream.