Kimchi Cream Pasta

Kimchi Cream Pasta. Springy pasta noodles coated in the most insanely delicious kimchi cream sauce with cheese and pork belly. A fantastic main dish ready in 15 minutes!

What is Kimchi Cream Pasta?

Kimchi Cream Pasta is a delicious Korean-Italian fusion dish that will satiate your taste buds like no other! A pasta dish with a creamy sauce featuring kimchi, onion and cream with pork belly.

It's so delicious that I couldn't stop at seconds and had to have thirds! Great for dinner or lunch. If you want to impress a special someone, this is the dish! Also this pasta dish is incredibly quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients in one pot.

Ingredients 

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

• spaghetti
• pork belly
• table cream
• kimchi, well fermented: Korean grocery stores will carry this ingredient
• onion
• parmigiano reggiano
• black pepper
• salt
• hot pasta water

How to make Creamy Kimchi Pasta

First bring a pot of water to boil and season with salt. Then add spaghetti pasta and boil until al dente, about 5-6 minutes.

Next, reserve 3 tablespoon of hot pasta water.

Strain pasta immediately.

Then in a separate pan set over medium heat, fry pork belly until cooked for about 1 minute.

Add onions and sauté until translucent.

Add kimchi and sauté for 1 minute or until juices release.

Lower heat to medium-low, pour in cream and simmer until pink and slightly thickened.

Once thickened, mix in hot pasta water.

Toss in pasta.

Finally season with black pepper. Mix in parmigiano reggiano. Serve with more parmigiano reggiano as desired. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Use well fermented kimchi!

This is important to make this pasta flavourful. You can tell if the kimchi is well fermented when the juices are red and the cabbage looks incredibly softened and looks more red than white.

Use freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for best taste

Using freshly grated parmigiano reggiano takes this pasta dish to the next level, unlike store bought grated parmesan cheese. Trust me on this!

Cut kimchi with scissors in a bowl for ease

This is a popular way to cut kimchi in Korean cooking. It cuts down the usage of kitchen tools like a cutting board or a knife. It also prevents your cutting board from getting stained from the kimchi.

Use cream not milk

The cream adds a wonderful taste to this pasta that unfortunately can’t be achieved to the same level with milk. It almost adds a slight tang and makes the sauce thicker.

Reserve hot pasta water to help thicken the sauce

The starch in the hot pasta water thickens your sauce. This is a tip I learned from watching countless Italian chefs make pasta.

FAQ

What is kimchi made out of?

It’s usually made of napa cabbage, gochugaru, garlic, salt, sweet rice flour, sugar, water, ginger, onion, fish sauce, leek, green onions, carrot and Korean radish.

Where can I buy kimchi?

Any Korean or Asian grocer will carry this item. I like the brand Jongga.

How can I tell if my kimchi is well fermented?

You can tell if it’s well fermented by looking at the colour of the juices. If the juices are red and most of the cabbage looks very softened, more reddish and less white then it’s well fermented.

Can I use bacon instead?

Yes, but please use uncured bacon that doesn’t contain sodium nitrates as it’ll be too salty.

Can I use any kind of pasta?

Sure! I recommend long noodles for best texture.

Other recipes you may like!

• Garlic Butter Shrimp Udon
• HK Style Fish Fillet in Cream Sauce Pasta
• Tomato Garlic Pasta
• Udon Carbonara

📖 Recipe