Gochujang Butter Pasta (Print Version)

Bold, creamy pasta with gochujang, butter, garlic, soy and honey for a glossy, umami-packed finish in 25 minutes.

# Components:

→ 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

# Directions:

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 -
  • Nobody expects pasta to taste this bold or comforting, so you’ll always surprise the table.
  • The creamy, glossy sauce catches every bite and balances heat, sweetness, and umami in one forkful.
02 -
  • If you let the garlic brown even a little, the whole dish gets a bitter edge—learned that the hard way.
  • Adding that splash of pasta cooking water at the end makes the sauce cling like a dream and brings all the flavors together.
03 -
  • Use tongs to toss the pasta in the sauce—they coat the strands better than a spoon ever could.
  • A pinch of sugar or extra honey rounds out sharper gochujang if needed.
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