Gochujang Buttered Noodles (Ketchup Noodles 2.0)
My Dad made dinner most of the time. Every evening he would leave the office, shop for dinner ingredients, go back to the office, pick up my mom, then go home. Once home, he donned his apron and cranked out a typical Chinese meal in about 30-45 minutes. A typical meal consisted of a quick soup, stir-fried beef with vegetables, and steamed fish. It takes me 30 minutes just to decide what to make let alone have it on the table. Yep, my Pop was Dinner Dad Extraordinaire.
But when I stop and think about it, my mom was the one who got us up, made us breakfast, packed our lunches, and made most of the non-Asian holiday meals. I have been giving short shrift to my mom all these years. She accounted for 2/3 of our daily meals and my favorite lasagne. Aiyah, I can’t believe I “marginalized” my own mom.
The Real Deal
My mom was instrumental in trying new things in our house. An early adopter of the microwave, yogurt (before it was fashionable and filled with fruit and sugar), and frozen food. Fridays meant Date Night for the parents and Swanson’s TV Dinners for us, and thanks to Swanson’s genius ad campaign, we got to eat in front of the TV.
There are a couple of dishes that my mom made that trumped (sorry) everything else. First, Avocado Sandwiches. My mom was ahead of her time-avocados, mashed with a little bit of mayo, S & P, and a squirt of lemon juice, slathered on white bread. The OG of Avocado Toast. She’d make a killing.
Second, Ketchup Noodles. Butter, noods, ketchup, a little salt and pepper. There you have it, perfection.
Which Brings Me to…
Gochujang Buttered Noodles. A trademark Eric Kim recipe, easy, fast, and absolutely delicious. I can’t give him 100 percent credit, this dish reminds me of my Mom’s Ketchup Noodles, think of his version as Ketchup Noodles 2.0. Gochujang, the Korean, sweet and spicy chili paste replaces ketchup, and honey and vinegar bring a balanced sweet-tart flavor. Fresh garlic adds punch. It’s delicious. Another Eric recipe goes viral.
The Sauce
Gochujang or Korean Chili Paste comes in mild, medium or hot and can be found at most Asian grocery stores. Trader Joe’s also carries a gochujang paste. Do not confuse this with Gochujang Sauce which is thinner in consistency and probably contains sweeteners. Use mild honey or agave syrup for the sweetener and rice vinegar or sherry vinegar for the acid, together they bring balance to the dish.
Reduce the sauce until you you run your spatula through it and it stays separate for a couple of seconds. It will be syrupy and have a nice sheen. Add your pasta and reserved pasta water (a little at a time to desired consistency).
The Noods
Asian pasta, like ramen or Taiwanese dry noodles, is my favorite for its texture, but spaghettini or linguine works in this dish. The bottom line, use your favorite pasta.
Finish the dish by garnishing it with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and crushed seaweed. I also like to drizzle some sesame oil on top.
Enjoy!
Gochujang Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 garlic cloves finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup gochujang paste
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
- Finely chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the spaghetti and return to its pot.
- While the pasta cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic and season generously with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to soften but not brown, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the gochujang, honey and vinegar, and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reduces significantly, 3 to 4 minutes; when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan, it should leave behind a trail that stays put for about 3 seconds. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the sauce to the pot with the spaghetti and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Vigorously stir until the butter melts. Add splashes of the pasta cooking water, as needed, to thin out the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with the cilantro or scallions (if using) and serve immediately.