A little spicy, and a little creamy, this pasta dish checks all of the boxes.

Kimchi Pasta

Serves 3 - 4

This pasta dish doesn’t have an equivalent. The kimchi adds a bit of spice and crunch which along with the carrot and pepper make it different and familiar. It is best to use well-fermented kimchi if possible as the stronger slightly more tart flavor compliment the pasta well.

Ingredients

500g (about 1 lb) fettuccine or other flat pasta

1 T vegetable oil

190g (1.25 c) carrot, julienne

5 garlic cloves, minced

10g (2 t) ginger, minced

4 scallions, chopped (green tops reserved for garnish)

1 yellow or red bell pepper, julienne

150g (.5 c) well fermented kimchi, chopped

Seasoning Sauce

3 T kimchi brine

2 T soy sauce

1 T gochujang

2 t rice vinegar

2 t maesil, honey or maple syrup

1.5 t fish sauce

0.25 t salt

0.25 t freshly ground black pepper

2 T. butter, cut into 4 pieces, keep cold until needed

Garnish

1 T toasted sesame seeds

Fresh ground black pepper

Reserved scallion greens

Recipe Know-how

1.      Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Season with salt.

2.      In a small bowl, combine seasoning sauce ingredients. Set aside.

3.      Place pasta in water stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure there is no sticking.

**In the time it takes for the pasta to cook the sauce can be made (you want to cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less than the package directions).

4.      Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium high. Add carrots and cook about 1 minute until they begin to change color slightly.

• Add garlic, ginger and scallions. Cook 30 seconds.

• Add bell pepper cook 1 minute.

• Increase heat to high. Add kimchi cook 45 seconds.

• Pour in sauce. Reduce liquid amount by 50%

5.      Once sauce has reduced. The pasta should be ready.

6.      Using tongs or hand held strainer, remove pasta from the pot and add directly to the sauté pan.

• Add butter.

**Using a lifting motion, toss pasta in the sauce while shaking the sauté pan until the butter has melted and all noodles are well coated.  Adjust the thickness of sauce by adding pasta water 1-2 T. at a time until all of the noodles are well coated.

7.      Serve topping with scallion greens, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and a grind of fresh black pepper