Gochujang Buttered Noodles

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Ready in under 20 minutes, these Gochujang Buttered Noodles are a bold yet cozy weeknight win. Perfectly cooked pasta is coated in a vegan, spicy-sweet Korean chili butter sauce for a quick, satisfying plant-based dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: servings

Author: Jenné Claiborne

Ingredients

3 tbsp kosher salt for salting water
½ lb spaghetti other long pasta, or long Asian noodles like udon or ramen
3 tbsp vegan butter divided, or dairy butter if not vegan
6 cloves garlic minced
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp gochujang paste not sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 ½ tbsp agave syrup
finely chopped scallions and cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions.
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water. Drain the spaghetti in a colander. Add the spaghetti back to the cooking pot and set it aside.
While the pasta cooks: warm 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until it turns golden but not brown.
Stir in the gochujang paste, vinegar, and agave. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Pour the sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the pot of spaghetti. Stir well until the butter melts and the noodles are coated. Add small amounts of the pasta cooking water as needed to thin the sauce and help it coat the noodles evenly.
Season the noodles to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with minced cilantro and scallions and serve hot!

Video

Notes

This recipe is an adaption of chef Eric Kim’s noodles, featured in this NYT Gochujang Noodles recipe.

Recipe Pro-Tips

Prep everything first. This dish cooks quickly, so have all ingredients measured, chopped, and ready before you start. Once the pan is hot, things move fast—and adding ingredients promptly helps prevent burning.
Heavily salt the pasta water. Season it generously until it tastes like seawater. This step ensures well-flavored noodles with a tender, balanced bite.
Reserve pasta water. Save at least 1 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining. It’s key for loosening the sauce and helping it cling evenly to the noodles.
Use high-quality gochujang paste. Gochujang is the backbone of this dish, so choose a quality paste for the best balance of heat, sweetness, and umami.
Control the heat. Gochujang heat levels vary by brand. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with less and add more to taste as the sauce simmers.
Balance the flavors. Taste before serving and adjust as needed. A pinch of salt, a crack of black pepper, or a splash of rice vinegar can help fine-tune the final dish.
Garnish generously. Fresh scallions and cilantro add brightness and contrast, lifting the rich, spicy noodles and rounding out the flavors.

Storage Directions

Refrigeration: Allow the noodles to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container and store for up to 3–4 days.
Freezing: Store cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Warm refrigerated noodles in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or vegetable broth to loosen the sauce and restore moisture. Stir gently until heated through.

Nutrition