Tomato Gochujang Pasta (Vegan) – Gourmet takes flight

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A rich and slightly creamy vegan tomato gochujeong pasta made with a mixture of tomatoes and gochujeong or Korean chili paste. Adding gochujang to this pasta adds a nice layer of heat and extra umami that makes for a rich sauce to coat the pasta.

Gochujang or Korean chili paste

Gochujang is one of my favorite spices and is incredibly versatile. It works as a great thickener because it’s a Korean chili paste thickened with glutinous rice. It is a deep red color that gives the sauce a beautiful red hue alongside the tomato paste.

Frying the tomatoes and gochujang takes some of the heat out of the chili paste. Adding some soy milk or other plant-based milk adds some creaminess to the pasta sauce without making it overly thick and heavy using cream. This is fine for me, as I wanted a pasta that was a bit creamy but not overly heavy.

Here are the ingredients you need for this pasta

You can find the full recipe for this pasta on the card below.

Roasted tomatoes

• 1/2 pound tomatoes, I used a mix of grape and regular tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Tomato gochujang sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 cup vegan ground or minced sausage, 150 g (see note)
• 1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk or other plant-based milk, I also recommend oat milk
• 1-2 tsp sugar, as per taste – to prevent acidity from tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pasta water
• Test for salt and pepper

the pasta

• 1/2 pound raw tortiglioni or rigatoni – feel free to use other pasta of choice

the end

• Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or basil
• Grated vegan cheese or parmesan is optional

Vegan mince or sausage crumbles

• You can use plant-based ground meat or mince like OmniMeat, Beyond Meat, etc. I like to use sausages from the field roast and crumble them to add a meaty texture and extra flavor to the sauce.
• Can I skip the vegan mince or crumble? Yes, you can make it with just roasted tomatoes.

How to cook this tomato gochujang pasta

Fry the tomatoes

• Cut the tomatoes in half. Place in an ovenproof baking dish. Season with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the tomatoes are lightly browned and beginning to burst.

the sauce

• Melt the vegan butter in a large pan or skillet over medium heat.
• Fry the onion for a minute until translucent. Add garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and gochujang. Mix with onion and garlic. Fry the tomato and gochujang paste on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add vegan ground or minced sausage (if using). Pour in soy milk or plant-based milk.
• Mix everything together. Add the toasted tomatoes. Slice any large tomatoes. To prevent acidity, add some sugar.
• Let the sauce simmer. Season the sauce according to your taste if necessary.

cooking pasta

• Meanwhile, cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package recommendations or until al dente and very chewy. Once al dente, drain the pasta from the water.
• Save some of the pasta water.

Finishing the pasta

• Add some pasta water to the tomato gochujang sauce. Turn off the flame.
• Add the cooked pasta directly to the sauce. Mix well to coat the sauce. Add more pasta water, if desired. Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste if desired. You can also finish it with some grated vegan cheese.
• Garnish with fresh parsley or basil. Serve hot and enjoy!

Serve and enjoy!

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