Gochujang Buttered Noodles
Updated Aug. 19, 2024
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound spaghetti or other long pasta
- 6tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12garlic cloves, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- Salt and pepper
- ¼cup gochujang paste (not sauce; see Tip)
- ¼cup honey
- ¼cup sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
- Finely chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
693 calories; 20 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 111 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 654 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the spaghetti and return to its pot.
- Step 2
While the pasta cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic and season generously with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to soften but not brown, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the gochujang, honey and vinegar, and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reduces significantly, 3 to 4 minutes; when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan, it should leave behind a trail that stays put for about 3 seconds. Remove from the heat.
- Step 4
Transfer the sauce to the pot with the spaghetti and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Vigorously stir until the butter melts. Add splashes of the pasta cooking water, as needed, to thin out the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with the cilantro or scallions (if using) and serve immediately.
- Be sure to purchase plain gochujang paste, not gochujang sauce, which often includes additives like vinegar and sugar. To easily measure out gochujang, swipe the inside of a measuring cup with a little neutral oil, which will get it to slip right out.
- To make a single serving, follow the recipe using 4 to 5 ounces fresh or instant ramen noodles; 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon to fry the garlic and ½ tablespoon for the sauce at the end); 3 garlic cloves; 1 heaping tablespoon gochujang; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or rice vinegar. Decrease the cook times throughout by 1 to 2 minutes.
Private Notes
Comments
Many thanks for including instructions for a single serving. The onesies of the world salute you, Eric!
Make the sauce in a skillet. Transfer the cooked pasta directly from the water into the skillet with tongs; the clinging water will thin the sauce about right. If not, add a bit more. This is how we do it in Italy, where colanders gather dust in the back of the cupboard.
It’s midnight and I’m a couple drinks in. Because I just got home from a trip I had everything except the Gochujang paste (had to substitute Gochujang sauce, which I know, it says get the paste!). Regardless, it was delicious. I used stale limpy cilantro but I would have preferred scallions, or fresh cilantro. I used somen noodles and they were perfect. Chopped some nuts for crunch/protein and it was a hit. Smashed it.
I used 10 ounces of Chinese noodles instead of spaghetti and halved the amount of honey. Perfect!
To make this a one-pan dish for one person, I substituted toasted sesame oil for the butter, and garlic powder for the fresh garlic. I mixed the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, spooned in some pasta water just before it was finished cooking, and stirred well. Then added the scallions and/or cilantro. Tong-ed the pasta into the bowl, mixed, served immediately. I liked it even better than the original recipe, which I made a couple weeks ago. (I really like sesame oil.) It’s also vegan.
My sauce was at first too sweet, which might be because of the gochujang I was using. I added some red pepper flakes and fresh grated parmesan to balance out the flavor a little and it turned out BRILLIANT.
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