In case you’re questioning, sure, I’m on a little bit of a pasta kick. Oh and a gochujang kick. So what higher dinner to share than a silky, spicy, luxurious gochujang carbonara recipe?!

I first shared my tackle conventional pasta carbonara again in 2019 and lots of of you (and Tony) informed me how a lot you really liked how simple and scrumptious it was. I used to be dreaming about that dish not too way back and remembered I had some gochujang nonetheless sitting in my fridge after making these Candy and Spicy Gochujang Rooster Bowls, and as you guessed it, I made a decision so as to add some to my carbonara sauce.

Hellooo spicy, savory, creamy, umami taste MAGIC. This gochujang carbonara has all of it. Simply belief me after I say you could put this in your dinner menu ASAP — it’s good for date evening or any time you wish to make one thing that feels just a little particular. Possibly it’s only a Tuesday evening? Sounds good to me.

What’s gochujang?

I’ve been including gochujang, which is a Korean pink chili paste, to a number of completely different recipes recently as a result of it provides an incredible sweetness, spiciness, and savoriness to all forms of dishes. It’s SO versatile and such a enjoyable ingredient to make use of!

A brand new tackle conventional carbonara

You in all probability know pasta carbonara as an Italian dish made with exhausting cheese corresponding to pecorino romano or parmesan, eggs, guanciale (an Italian cured meat), freshly floor black pepper, and pasta. Most pasta carbonara recipes are made with spaghetti, however it’s additionally frequent to make use of bucatini, linguine, rigatoni, or angel hair pasta.

This gochujang carbonara (because the title suggests) kicks up the warmth and taste with the addition of gochujang! The pasta nonetheless will get that beautiful creaminess that you just’ll discover with conventional carbonara, however with some additional spice. We’re additionally getting that savory taste from bacon as a substitute of guanciale as a result of it’s extra available and nonetheless scrumptious.

Every little thing you’ll must make gochujang carbonara

Now that we’ve coated a number of the key elements on this beautiful gochujang pasta, let’s chat about the remaining:

• Bacon: as I discussed, I like to make use of bacon on this recipe as a result of that’s what I often have available.
• Cheese: similar to common carbonara you’ll want grated pecorino romano or parmesan.
• Eggs: one other staple in carbonara recipes? Eggs! They offer the sauce an additional creamy texture (extra on this under).
• Gochujang: the star of the present! You’ll simply want a few tablespoons of gochujang and might simply alter the spice by utilizing roughly.
• Spices: you’ll additionally want salt, garlic powder, and freshly floor black pepper.
• Pasta: be happy to get inventive right here! I like utilizing fettuccine, conchiglie, or shellbows.
• To garnish: high your bowl with scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and just a little lemon zest for brightness.

Can I make it vegan or dairy free?

The eggs and bacon are actually what make this a gochujang carbonara as a substitute of simply pasta with gochujang, so I don’t have a simple vegan substitute that can produce the identical end result. Be at liberty to strive utilizing a dairy free parmesan that you just like (and that melts effectively!) to maintain the dish dairy free!

Ideas for making good carbonara

There are a number of suggestions and methods I’ve that can assist you make this gochujang carbonara completely each time!

• Get your elements prepared. This recipe goes rapidly so that you’ll simply must be sure to have all the things out, measured and prepared so that you aren’t scrambling.
• Season your pasta water. Keep in mind to generously season the pasta water with salt while you prepare dinner your pasta. This can naturally add taste to the noodles themselves.
• Toss the pasta rapidly. As soon as the pasta is finished and drained, add it again to the pot and rapidly toss it with the egg, cheese & gochujang sauce. The heat from the pasta can be sufficient to set the eggs to create a pleasant, creamy sauce as a substitute of scrambled eggs.
• Add the correct quantity of pasta water. The reserved pasta water will assist to make the pasta good and creamy to your liking. On this recipe, I stream in 1/2 cup to create a pleasant consistency however add extra as wanted to make it creamier.

Storing suggestions

Retailer any leftover gochujang carbonara in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. Please notice that the pasta gained’t be as creamy popping out of the fridge, so I’d advocate reheating it on the stovetop with just a little olive oil to return a number of the creamy texture.

Extra pasta recipes you’ll love

Get all of my pasta recipes right here!

I hope you like this gochujang carbonara recipe! Should you make it make sure to go away a remark and a ranking so I understand how you favored it. Take pleasure in, xo!

The
Bold Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Typically Indulgent, and Completely By no means Boring Recipes for Each Meal of the Day

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook dinner Time 25 minutes minutes

Complete Time 35 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

Flavorful gochujang carbonara made with easy elements in simply half-hour. This scrumptious tackle conventional pasta carbonara has an exquisite kick of warmth from the gochujang, plus the luxurious creaminess that and love! Enjoyable and straightforward consolation meals that is assured to impress.

Components

• For the pasta:
• 10 ounces thick-cut bacon
• ¾ cup (3 ounces) grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, plus extra to garnish
• 2 massive eggs, at room temperature
• 2 to three tablespoons Gochujang, relying how spicy you prefer it
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra to style
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Freshly floor black pepper
• 12 ounces pasta (I like fettuccine, conchiglie or shellbows for this!)*
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• For garnish:
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds (black and white are nice!)
• Lemon zest, non-compulsory for brightness

Directions

• Cook dinner the bacon: Add bacon to a big skillet or pan and place over medium warmth, prepare dinner bacon on either side till golden brown. If the pan begins to smoke at any level, merely decrease the warmth. I all the time prepare dinner my bacon on medium to medium low warmth. As soon as bacon is finished, switch to a chopping board and blot with a paper towel to soak up extra grease, then coarsely chop and put aside.

• Alternatively prepare dinner the bacon within the oven: Fastidiously place bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place bacon right into a COLD oven, shut the door and preheat the oven to 425 levels F. Bake till bacon has reached your required degree of crispiness, 15 to 25 minutes.

• Whereas the bacon cooks, make the sauce and pasta: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the parmesan, eggs, Gochujang, salt, garlic powder and plenty of freshly floor black pepper till well-combined. Put aside.

• Cook dinner the pasta: Carry a big pot of salted water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add pasta and boil till al dente, in line with the package deal instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then take away from warmth and drain. Add pasta again to the pot, instantly add the egg and cheese combination, and use tongs to rapidly and completely coat the pasta with the combination. The heat of the pasta will remodel the eggs right into a creamy sauce; it shouldn’t be curdled or chunky. Stream in ½ cup pasta water and toss once more to coat the noodles so they’re shiny and creamy. Add extra pasta water, as mandatory, to create a creamier sauce. Style and season with extra salt, as wanted.

• Serve: Divide pasta between bowls or plates. Prime with bacon items and sprinkle every bowl with about 1 tablespoon of grated or shaved parmesan and scallions. Should you’d like just a little brightness, I recommend including just a little lemon (or lime!) zest on high. End it off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and dig in! Serves 4-6.

Recipe Notes

*To make gluten free: merely use your favourite gluten free pasta.

Vitamin

Serving: 1serving (primarily based on 6)Energy: 499calCarbohydrates: 46.1gProtein: 19.6gFats: 25.7gSaturated Fats: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 3.6g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Bold Kitchen | Images by Eat Love Eats