Kimchi Pasta with Bacon

Swirls of dairy free kimchi pasta on a fork with mushrooms and crispy bacon.

5 from 3 votes

Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Bacon is the ultimate less than 30 minute Korean-Italian fusion recipe! Slurpy noodles, mushrooms, dairy-free spicy kimchi sauce & crispy bacon. The ultimate comfort food mashup.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Italian, Korean

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: large bowls

Calories: 623kcal

Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

large pot
large skillet

Ingredients

6 ounces dry pasta 150 to 180 grams of pasta of choice (we used regular spaghetti noodles)
salted water to boil pasta
4 strips bacon
chopped
½ cup onion
peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
4 ounces mushrooms
sliced (about 113 grams)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
¾ cup kimchi
fermented and chopped
½ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta plus a little extra)
½ tablespoon korean red pepper paste (gochujang) (Start out with 1 teaspoon and increase up to your desired heat level.)
½ cup non-dairy creamer We used Nutpods. OR use heavy cream (if no dairy or lactose issues)
1 teaspoon sugar
or sugar alternative - to taste (optional)
2 spring onions freshly chopped for garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Boil a large pot of water and season with salt. Following the directions on the pasta box, cook the pasta until just before al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Dice the bacon and cook it over medium to medium-low heat, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain the bacon fats until there is about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat left in the skillet.
Add in the chopped onion and sauté over medium heat until onion has softened and became translucent. Add in the garlic and mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms have softened. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add in kimchi, gochujang and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
Stir in non-dairy creamer (or heavy cream if no lactose issues) and taste. If it's too spicy, add in a little sugar. Add in pasta, heat through for a minute and stir well. The sauce will thicken as it sits. (*Note Below)
Serve, sprinkled with the crispy bacon and chopped spring onions.

Video

Notes

Recipe Notes

Review the directions on your dried 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.
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.
We used non-dairy creamer Nutpods in place of heavy cream. If no dairy or lactose issues, you can use heavy cream.
NOTE: The kimchi pasta sauce will thicken once you add the noodles back into the sauce to finish cooking for the last minute.
The sauce will also thicken as it sits. If too thick, add a teaspoon at a time of pasta water or water to thin it back out.
If the sauce is too thin, continue cooking until the sauce reduces.
The creamy kimchi pasta sauce will thicken as it sits.
To make gluten free just swap regular spaghetti noodles with a gluten free noodle of choice or try this recipe over zucchini noodles to keep it low carb.

Storage and Reheating

Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or frozen up to 2 months. To reheat add a tablespoon of water to loosen the kimchi pasta back up again. Reheat on the stovetop or in microwave until warmed.

Nutrition