Kimchi Pasta with Bacon

Dinner in less than 30 minutes - never tasted so good! Well don’t take our word for it. Hop into the kitchen and let’s make a deliciously spicy, smoky, and Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Bacon today.

It’s hands down one of THE BEST Korean-Italian fusion recipes and it’s easy to prepare. Long slurping spaghetti noodles are tossed in with stir fried mushroom, a dairy free creamy kimchi and gochujang sauce and topped with crispy bacon.  It's the perfect east meets west comfort food!

This Korean noodle recipe is inspired by a guest post shared on Healthy World Cuisine from our dear friend at the Foodie Baker.  However, now it’s lightened up to get EXTRA creamy pasta without lactose or extra fat. It’s creamy, tangy, spicy with an explosion of umami “funky” flavor. Your taste buds won’t know what hit them.

Serve Korean spaghetti with an Italian tomato cucumber salad or spicy cucumber refrigerator pickles and enjoy. Ok, let’s get cracking in the kitchen!

Kimchi, but of course, right?

This fermented spicy and sour side dish, kimchi, is served at every Korean meal. It’s packed with healthy probiotics and the is star of this Korean hot noodle recipe and spicy salmon patties. If you don’t eat a metric ton of kimchi every day, try Jongga Spicy Napa Cabbage Kimchi from Korea in these shelf stable small packets.

This post is not sponsored in any way but love this idea of having fresh fermented kimchi ready and on hand in small serving sizes. Then, you don’t have to worry that it will be eaten before it expires.

Pasta

We used simple dried Italian spaghetti, like we used in our Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe, because we love slurping long noodles. You can easily exchange them with any noodles you have on hand like soba, udon, ramen, egg noodles or your favorite gluten free pasta. Try shirataki noodles or even zucchini zoodles to keep this recipe low in carbohydrates.

Gochujang Paste

This thick red Korean chili paste is spicy, savory, lightly sweet and has that addictive pop of funky umami flavor. The main ingredients of gochujang paste are Korean red chili flakes (ground gochugaru), glutinous rice flour (sweet rice powder), fermented soybean powder and salt. Depending on the brand, gochujang paste can be mild, slightly hot, medium hot, very hot or even dragon breathing hot - so check the label before purchase.

The crimson red paste comes in a resealable container. Once it is opened, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year. That gives you plenty of time to make these Korean spicy noodles on repeat or try our kimchi fried rice and Korean Balls. If you need to stay gluten-free, choose one of the few gluten-free varieties on the market.

Our suggestion is to start out with just a teaspoon and add more to taste. If you need a substitute for gochujang paste, you can mix equal parts of miso paste, sriracha sauce and sugar.

Non-Dairy Creamer vs Regular Heavy Cream

We used Nutpods original unsweetened coffee creamer made with almonds and coconuts to make the kimchi pasta extra creamy without dairy.  We are lactose intolerant and wanted to lighten up the recipe.  If you are okay with eating dairy, heavy cream makes this pasta extra creamy.  However, it does come with a lot of extra calories and fat.

Heavy Cream – 1 cup has 821 calories and total fat 86 grams.

Nutpods unsweetened Coffee Creamer – 1 cup has 160 calories and total fat 16 grams.

Holy cow! Right? That is exactly why we used the starch from the pasta water and ½ cup less cream.  This creamy kimchi pasta has a luxurious mouthfeel but is gentler on the waistline.   

Extra Flavor Ingredients      

Mushrooms – You can use any mushrooms you like such as baby portabella, button mushrooms, shiitake and more or leave them out.

Bacon – According to teenagers, bacon belongs in its own food group. We could not agree more. You are going to love the smokey, savory flavor that bacon grease brings to the kimchi pasta sauce.

Seasonings – salt, pepper and if desired a dash of sugar to balance the sour flavors.

Optional Toppings & Additions

• Parmesan cheese (if no lactose issues) or Nutritional Yeast into the sauce or as a garnish on top.
• Zucchini, roasted sweet mini peppers or veggies of choice.
• Top with sesame seeds, homemade furikake seasonings or dried nori.
• Sliced green onions.

Variations of Italian-Korean Spaghetti

Vegan – Hold the bacon and exchange the bacon fat render with olive oil. Use a dairy free cream alternative. More about this below.

Vegetarian – Add ⅓ cup parmesan cheese to either the creamy kimchi sauce or grate on top as a garnish. Hold the bacon and use olive oil to stir fry the aromatics.

Full Fat Option – Use one full cup of heavy cream and hold the pasta water.

Lower Fat and Calorie Option – Use ½ cup pasta water and ½ cup non-dairy creamer.

Extra Spicy – Increase kimchi up to 8 ounces and use 1 full tablespoon of gochujang sauce.

Less Spicy – Decrease the amount of kimchi to 5 to 6 ounces or less. Reduce the gochujang paste down to your desired heat level or hold it all together. Add a pinch of sugar (about 1 teaspoon) to help round out the sour and spicy notes.

 Recipe Hacks

• Review the directions on your pasta package. Boil the noodles until just before al dente. For example, the directions on our dried spaghetti box said to cook them between 9 to 11 minutes for al dente noodles.  So, we removed them from the boiling water at the 8-minute mark. The reason being is that the noodles will cook a little bit longer in the sauce. You don’t want to over cook them.
• Salt the pasta water well. Please pick a large enough pot to cook the pasta. A good rule is to add one liter of water for every 100 grams of pasta. If you are making the recipe for 2, that is about 8 cups of water.
• Chop, slice and prep your ingredients before you start.
• Time the boiling of the noodles to be completed by the time it is ready to add them to the sauce.
• Use the time while the pasta is boiling to fry up the bacon and start on the sauce.
• Keep the bacon crispy and add to the top of the dish. Don’t add it to the sauce. “I like my bacon soft, fatty and added to the sauce – said no one ever!”
• If you like your recipes milder, start with a half a teaspoon of gochujang paste or none as the kimchi has a kick.  Then, add more to taste after you add the cream and noodles. It is easier to add spice than to take it away.
• Save the pasta water for the recipe and/or loosen the pasta back up if it starts to get cold.
• The kimchi pasta sauce will thicken as it sits.

Storage and Reheating Directions

Creamy kimchi pasta with bacon can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or up to 2 months in the freezer. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat and add a little water or cream to help loosen the sauce back up. You can also reheat in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)