This creamy kimchi pasta is an easy, 15 minute recipe that's both perfect for the weekdays and date nights! The pasta is rich creamy with a very mild kick and speckled with pieces of kimchi, bacon, and onions throughout. For more quick and easy pasta inspirations you can make in 15 minutes or less, try our gochujang pasta and spaghetti carbonara (for two)!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Yield: 2servings
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Ingredients
8ouncesdry pasta(spaghetti and linguini are great choices)
4ouncesbaconcut into ½ inch pieces (about 4 slices of thin-cut bacon)
Boil the pasta:Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the dry pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and stir occasionally. Once cooked to your desired doneness, drain the pasta well.
Make the sauce:While the pasta is boiling, make the sauce. In a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon. Cook the bacon until the fat is mostly rendered and the bacon is about 75 percent cooked to your desired crispness.
To the bacon, add the sliced onions and sauté for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the onion is starting to look translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. Lastly, add the kimchi and sauté about 1 minute, or until most of the kimchi juice has evaporated.
Pour the heavy cream into the pan and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 1 minute to infuse the flavor. Stir frequently.
After simmering, turn off the heat and add the grated parmesan. Stir until the cheese is well combined and melted. At this point, taste the sauce to see if a little salt is needed. Season to your preference.
Once the pasta is ready and well drained, add straight into the kimchi cream sauce. Stir and toss the pasta until well coated, about 30 seconds. The starch on the pasta will also help to slightly thicken the sauce.
Serve:Serve the kimchi pasta immediately and garnish with more grated parmesan and some green onion if you'd like.
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo references, tips, storage, and FAQs!
Kimchi - Fermented kimchi is best for this recipe because the acidity from the kimchi will help contrast and help balance the richness from the cream and bacon. You can use either store-bought kimchi or make your own homemade kimchi (just allow it to ferment for at least a few days, best a week or longer).
Cutting kimchi - Also, we recommend cutting the kimchi in a glass bowl using kitchen shears to prevent any of your cutting boards from becoming stained.