Introducing the creamiest kimchi pasta! This comforting dish features tender fettuccine coated in a tangy and spicy cashew kimchi sauce. This rich and creamy kimchi pasta requires just 20 minutes and 5 ingredients!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- Effortless, yet impressive. You will be pleasantly surprised by how easy and quick this vegan pasta dish comes together. It involves blending cashews with fermented kimchi to make a velvety sauce, cooking the pasta, and coating it with the sauce. All of that can be done in less than 20 minutes.
- Comfort food at its best. The kimchi sauce, which is the star of this recipe, is insanely creamy, smooth, and umami-packed. Plus, it’s versatile, as you can use it with any pasta. It’s the perfect dish to warm up during the cold days!
- Full of kimchi flavor. You certainly won’t miss the kimchi flavor in the sauce. Each bite packs plenty of spiciness and tanginess for a restaurant-worthy dish!
🥬 Ingredient Notes
You will not need any fancy or hard-to-find ingredients to prepare this wonderful kimchi pasta dish. Here is what you will need:
- Kimchi – You can use store-bought kimchi or homemade vegan kimchi. If using store-bought, ensure it is vegan, as many kimchi brands include fish sauce or anchovies.
- Cashews – Raw cashews make the base of the sauce, bringing richness and creaminess. Check out the Tips section for a nut-free alternative.
- Pasta – I went with fettuccine, but tagliatelle, linguine, or even short pasta like fusilli or macaroni will work.
- Salt and sugar – To season. You can omit it, but the sugar helps balance the spiciness.
🥣 How to Make Creamy Kimchi Pasta
Make the kimchi sauce
- Soak the cashews. Start by soaking the cashews in cold water overnight. Alternatively, you can speed up the process by pouring boiling water over the cashews and letting them soak for about 1 hour.
- Drain them. Next, drain the cashews and transfer them to a blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the kimchi, sugar, salt, and water to the blender.
- Blend until smooth. Finally, blend the sauce on high speed for 20-30 seconds or until silky smooth. At this point, give it a taste and adjust the saltiness if needed. Set the sauce aside.
Cook the pasta and coat with the sauce
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions or until al dente.
- Reserve some of the cooking water. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the cooking water to the kimchi sauce and stir to coat. This will add extra saltiness and help emulsify the sauce.
- Drain the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer it back to the warm pot (or to a skillet).
- Coat with the sauce. Pour in the kimchi sauce and toss to coat. Heat for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is hot. Note: Since your pasta is already hot, warming the sauce won’t take long.
- Serve. You can now serve this creamy kimchi pasta and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions!
🌶️ Addins
While this kimchi pasta is delicious served on its own, you can customize it by adding:
- Plant-based protein: Sautéed tofu, tempeh, vegan chicken, or vegan sausage for a smoky flavor!
- Vegetables: Stir in roasted bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, or sautéed mushrooms for a more complete meal.
- Meatballs: This pasta dish is also delicious served with plant-based meatballs. A couple of recommendations would be these tempeh meatballs or tofu meatballs!
📔 Tips
- Adjust the seasonings to taste. Be aware that not all kimchi are equal. Some are spicier and saltier, so you might have to adjust the seasonings of the sauce.
- Serve immediately. Just like most pasta dishes, this kimchi pasta is best enjoyed shortly after making it. Pasta tends to soak up the sauce quickly, so leftovers are usually not as creamy.
- Top with chopped kimchi. For extra texture, finely chop some kimchi and stir it into the pasta before serving.
- Make the sauce ahead of time. While this dish is best served immediately, you can prepare the kimchi sauce up to 3 days before using. Store in the refrigerator and reheat it for a few minutes before pouring over cooked pasta.
💬 FAQ
Yes, instead of using cashew cream, you can replace it with your favorite plant-based cream (soy or oat cream, for example). Use 3/4 cup of plant-based cream and blend it with the kimchi.
You can reheat leftovers over medium heat in a non-stick pan for 5-7 minutes. Add 3-4 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and a pinch of salt to make the sauce creamy again.
It is mildly spicy. You can adjust the spiciness by using less kimchi. If you are unsure, start by blending 1/2 cup of the kimchi with the cashews and the water. Then, add more according to your taste.
I hope you are going to love this creamy kimchi pasta! While it’s definitely not an authentic Korean recipe (more like a fusion dish), it tastes fantastic and offers a beautiful balance of spiciness and tanginess. Perfect to warm up during the colder days!
🍜 More Kimchi Recipes
If you are looking for more recipes using kimchi, we have got you covered:
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
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Kimchi Sauce
- Soak the cashews. Start by soaking the cashews in cold water overnight. Alternatively, you can speed up the process by pouring boiling water over the cashews and letting them soak for about 1 hour.Drain them. Next, rinse and drain the cashews.
Transfer to a blender. Add the drained cashews, water, kimchi, sugar, and salt to a blender.
Blend until smooth. Blend the sauce on high speed for 20-30 seconds or until silky smooth. At this point, give it a taste and adjust the saltiness if needed. Set the sauce aside.
Pasta
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions or until al dente.
Reserve some of the cooking water. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the cooking water to the kimchi sauce and stir to coat. This will add extra saltiness and help emulsify the sauce.
Drain the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer it back to the warm pot (or to a skillet).
Coat with the sauce. Pour in the kimchi sauce and toss to coat. Heat for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is hot. Note: Since your pasta is already hot, warming the sauce won’t take long.
Serve. You can now serve this creamy kimchi pasta and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions!
- Adjust the seasonings to taste. Be aware that not all kimchi are equal. Some are spicier and saltier, so you might have to adjust the seasonings of the sauce.
- Serve immediately. Just like most pasta dishes, this kimchi pasta is best enjoyed shortly after making it. Pasta tends to soak up the sauce quickly, so leftovers are usually not as creamy.
- Top with chopped kimchi. For extra texture, finely chop some kimchi and stir it into the pasta before serving.
- Make the sauce ahead of time. While this dish is best served immediately, you can prepare the kimchi sauce up to 3 days before using. Store in the refrigerator and reheat it for a few minutes before pouring over cooked pasta.
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