Description
Gochujang Buttered Noodles is a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender spaghetti tossed in a spicy, sweet, and tangy Korean chili butter sauce made with gochujang paste, garlic, vinegar, and agave syrup. Garnished with fresh scallions and cilantro, this recipe delivers bold flavors in under 25 minutes, perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Salt
- 3 tbsp kosher salt (for salting water)
- ½ lb spaghetti (or other long pasta, or long Asian noodles like udon or ramen)
Sauce
- 3 tbsp vegan butter (divided, or dairy butter if not vegan)
- 6 minced garlic cloves
- Kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp gochujang paste (not sauce)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or sherry vinegar)
- 1 ½ tbsp agave syrup
Garnish
- Finely chopped scallions
- Finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Boil Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Reserve Pasta Water and Drain: Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water. Then drain the spaghetti in a colander and return it to the cooking pot. Set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: While the pasta cooks, warm 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic turns golden but not browned, releasing its aroma.
- Prepare Sauce: Stir in the gochujang paste, rice vinegar, and agave syrup into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from heat once combined.
- Toss Noodles with Sauce: Pour the gochujang sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the pot with the spaghetti. Stir well until the butter melts and coats the noodles evenly. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta cooking water a little at a time to thin it and help it adhere to the noodles.
- Season and Garnish: Taste and season the noodles with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Garnish generously with finely chopped scallions and cilantro. Serve the noodles hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Spice up your dinner table with this flavor-packed Gochujang Buttered Noodles recipe, ready in under 20 minutes!
- Perfectly tender pasta noodles are tossed in a spicy, sweet, tangy Korean chili butter sauce for a satisfying quick-fix meal.
- You can substitute spaghetti with udon, ramen, or any preferred long noodle for variation.
- Use vegan butter to keep the dish vegan-friendly or dairy butter for richer flavor.
- Adjust gochujang paste amount to alter the level of spiciness to your taste.
- Reserve pasta water is important for adjusting sauce consistency for a silky finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
