A very different way to use leftover dakgalbi. Lightly spiced, creamy and full of interesting flavors with each bite.

Dakgalbi Pasta

Serves 4

Typically leftover dakgalbi is chopped up and made into fried rice. This dish combines the leftovers with mushrooms, pasta and cheese to make a hearty meal. find my dakgalbi recipe here.

Ingredients

500g (1 lb) penne pasta

Leftover dakgalbi

1.5 T bacon fat or vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, sliced

110g (5 medium) shitake mushrooms, sliced

2 cheongyang or serrano chilis, sliced

2 scallions sliced, tops reserved

.5 t ground black pepper

.5 t kosher salt

1 T gochujang

2 t gochugaru

.75 t curry powder

5 T heavy cream

1 T soy sauce

180g (1.5 c) cheese, grated

4 Perilla leaves, julienned

Recipe Know-how

1.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2.      In a large saute pan, heat bacon fat over medium-high.

• Saute garlic, mushrooms, chilis and scallion bottoms with salt and pepper until tender.

• Add gochujang, gochugaru and curry powder. Cook 45 seconds.

• Add dakgalbi, cream and soy sauce. Cook 5-7 minutes or until dakgalbi is heated through.

Keep sauce warm while pasta cooks.

3.      Add pasta to boiling water.

• Cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions for al dente.

• Remove 2.5 c of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta.

4.      Over low to medium-low heat, add pasta, cheese, 1 c of the reserved pasta water and perilla leaves to the sauce.

• Stirring constantly continue cooking until cheese is melted, pasta is cooked through and sauce coats the pasta.

• Add remaining pasta water as needed to create a creamy sauce.

The pasta will continue to absorb water as it cooks, do not hesitate to add the water while mixing.

5.      Serve topping with scallion tops and a drizzle of sesame oil.