Another easy and delicious 15-minute meal to make at home: Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Bacon! Spicy kimchi adds incredible flavor to a creamy sauce. So fast and flavorful, it will soon become your favorite pantry meal, too!
What is Kimchi Pasta?
Kimchi pasta is a delicious fusion dish that combines spicy kimchi and cream pasta. The kimchi adds a spick kick of flavor to an otherwise ordinary pasta sauce. Out of all the pasta dishes to love, this is one of my favorites. Creamy, flavorful, and so easy to make!
The beauty of this dish comes from the combination of kimchi and a creamy carbonara-style sauce. Together, they complement each other well. Kimchi adds spicy heat, acidity, and deep flavor. The cream sauce adds a silky lushness and cuts through the acidity of the kimchi for a more balanced flavor.
Kimchi Pasta is so easy and fast, it can be put on the table in 15 minutes. While the spaghetti noodles boil away, make the sauce. Cook the bacon until golden brown and crispy. Add Kimchi and cook in the rendered bacon fat, until the flavors caramelize and deepen. Lastly, add cream and parmesan cheese, alongside the starchy pasta water, to create a deliciously spicy sauce that is silky and lush. YUM!
Enjoy the ultimate in easy pasta dishes with Kimchi Cream Pasta with Bacon!
Ingredients:
- Kimchi. A traditional Korean dish made with seasoned, fermented cabbage. Old, well-fermented kimchi works best for this recipe. Make sure to include some kimchi juice for the best flavor.
- Pasta. Any pasta shape works well. I like spaghetti as the sauce will coat and cling to the long strands. But any other pasta shape that tastes good with cream sauce will work well, too.
- Bacon. Smoky, meaty bacon adds so much flavor.
- Garlic. Adds aromatic flavor.
- Gochujang. Korean red pepper paste. A pantry essential that’s spicy-sweet and full of umami flavor. You only need a small spoonful. Swap with tomato paste for a less spicy, mild kick of flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano adds salty sharp flavor and melts beautifully. It also has better flavor and a less grainy finish than pre-grated parmesan.
- Table Cream. For a silky sauce and creamy richness, use table cream (18% milk fat). If you prefer, swap with Heavy Cream (36% milk fat) or Half and Half. I don’t recommend regular milk, as it will be too thin and watery.
How to make Creamy Kimchi Pasta:
- Cook spaghetti. Bring a large pot of salted water (2-3 generous pinches of salt) to a boil over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti noodles and cook until almost al dente, about 7 minutes. (Read package directions, if needed).
- *NOTE: While the water comes to a boil and the spaghetti cooks, make the sauce. By the time the sauce is done, the pasta should also be finished cooking.
- Cook bacon. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and bacon. Cook until the bacon is browned and crispy looking, about 4-5 minutes. The fat should be rendered out of the bacon, leaving a bit of fat in the bottom of the pan.
- Make kimchi sauce. Add garlic to the crispy bacon and bacon fat. Stir until the garlic is fragrant and somewhat softened, about 30 seconds. Add kimchi, a little kimchi juice, and the Gochujang paste. Cook, stirring often, until the kimchi is soft, caramelized, and dark orange — about 4-5 minutes. Add the cream and let it reduce slightly until thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add noodles. Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the kimchi sauce. Add the parmesan cheese directly on top of the noodles. Add 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Finish cooking. Keep cooking over medium heat, stirring the noodles and the sauce together. At first, the sauce will be watery. As it cooks, the Kimchi cream sauce will thicken and coat the noodles. If the sauce reduces too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low. Add more extra pasta water, if necessary. This part of the cooking process goes fast and will take 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Season the pasta with salt and black pepper. A quick toss and that’s it! Divide evenly between two bowls. Garnish with parsley and extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Use old kimchi. If possible, use old kimchi that is very ripe and mature. The flavor of old kimchi is far superior in this recipe. When cooked, the flavor changes to a deep, mellow intensity. If using new kimchi, you’ll need to cook longer.
- Salt the pasta water. When boiling the noodles, make sure to salt the water with 2-3 generous pinches of salt. Salted water will season the noodles.
- Add pasta water to make a sauce. Don’t throw out the starchy pasta water! It’s essential for creating a creamy, velvety sauce that’s not too thick.
FAQ
Cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container. Transfer to the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes, the spice level can be easily adjusted! Add less Gochujang paste (or none at all) for a less spicy dish. Or, swap with tomato paste.
Old kimchi is ripe and well-fermented. It is soft, juicy, and dark orange. When you take a bite, it will taste sharply acidic and may fizz slightly in your mouth.
More easy recipes:
Love kimchi? Check out What to Do with Kimchi: 20 Easy Recipes.
New to Korean Food? Check out A Beginner’s Guide to Korean Food.
Easy Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Bacon
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Large Stockpot
Ingredients
- 6 ounces spaghetti
- 1 cup kimchi *preferably old, well-fermented kimchi
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 3/4 cup table cream (18% milk fat) *can be swapped with heavy cream or half and half
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated *plus more for garnish
- parsley, chopped *for garnish
- 1/2 cup pasta water *plus more, if needed
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti. Bring a large pot of salted water (2-3 generous pinches of salt) to a boil over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti noodles and cook until almost al dente, about 7 minutes. (Read package directions, if needed).
- *NOTE: While the water comes to a boil and the spaghetti cooks, make the sauce. By the time the sauce is done, the pasta should also be finished cooking.
- Cook bacon. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the bacon. Cook until the bacon is browned and crispy looking, about 4-5 minutes. The fat should render out of the bacon, leaving a bit of fat in the bottom of the pan.
- Make kimchi sauce. Add garlic to the crispy bacon and bacon fat. Stir until the garlic is fragrant and somewhat softened, about 30 seconds. Add kimchi, a little kimchi juice, and the Gochujang paste. Cook, stirring often, until the kimchi is soft, caramelized, and dark orange — about 4-5 minutes. Add the cream and let it reduce slightly until thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add noodles. Transfer the cooked noodles to the pan with the kimchi sauce. Add the parmesan cheese directly on top of the noodles. Add 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water.
- Finish cooking. Keep cooking over medium heat, stirring the noodles and the sauce together. At first, the sauce will be watery. As it cooks, the sauce will thicken and coat the noodles. If the sauce reduces too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low. Add more starchy pasta water, if necessary. This part of the cooking process goes fast and will take 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Season the pasta with salt and black pepper. A quick toss and that's it! Divide evenly between two bowls. Garnish with parsley and extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
