Gochujang Butter Pasta

Creamy gochujang and butter pasta tossed with garlic, soy and a glossy umami sauce; quick, flavorful main for two.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 200 g (7 oz) spaghetti or linguine

02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

04 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

05 - 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)

06 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce

07 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

08 - 60 ml (¼ cup) pasta cooking water

→ Garnish

09 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

10 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.

02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.

03 - Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, and honey. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until well blended.

04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Pour in reserved pasta water and toss over medium heat until the sauce coats the pasta and becomes glossy, about 2 minutes.

05 - Divide between bowls. Garnish with spring onions, sesame seeds, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

Your friends will beg for the secret after their first bite, but you alone will know how easy it is.
The sauce comes together in the time it takes the pasta to boil, making it the hero of rushed evenings or lazy Sundays alike.

02 -

Once, I let the garlic brown—just seconds too long—and it turned the whole sauce bitter, so keep an eagle eye here.
Mixing in the pasta water gradually rather than all at once is what creates that gorgeously glossy finish, not a watery mess.

03 -