Vegan Tomato Gochujang Pasta

This dish is all about the power of fusion: Vegan Tomato Gochujang Pasta. It’s a synergy of tomatoes and gochujang, a Korean chili paste, culminating in a flavorful, creamy encounter. Gochujang lends a desirable heat to the pasta, while adding a savory umami flavor that intermingles perfectly with the velvety sauce.

Gochujang is one of my favorite seasonings and one of the most adaptable. The sticky rice used to thicken this Korean chili sauce also makes it an excellent thickener. It’s a deep red color that complements the tomato paste in the sauce.

The spiciness of the chili paste can be mitigated by stir-frying the tomato and gochujang together. Creaminess can be achieved without the cream’s added thickness and heaviness by using soy milk or another plant-based milk in the spaghetti sauce. Since I was looking for a creamy but not too rich spaghetti.

Ingredients:

Roasted Tomatoes

• 1/2 lb of tomatoes
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepepr to taste

Tomato Gochujang Sauce

• 2 tbsp of vegan butter or olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion; diced
• 6 cloves of peeled and thinly sliced garlic
• 1/3 cup of tomato paste
• 2 tbsp of gochujang
• 1 cup of vegan ground or crumbled sausages
• 1 cup of plain unsweetened soy milk or other plant based milk
• 1-2 of tsp sugar, to taste
• 1/4 cup of pasta water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

• 1/2 lb of uncooked tortiglioni or rigatoni

To Finish

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

Instructions:

Tomatoes

1. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise. Put in an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then finish with a splash of olive oil.
2. Wait until the tomatoes are gently browned and beginning to burst before taking them out of the oven (around 30–35 minutes at 350F/180C).

Sauce

1. Melt vegan butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the onion has been cooking for a minute, it should become transparent. Add garlic at the last minute or two.
2. Put in the gochujang and tomato paste. Add the onion and garlic and combine. It takes one to two minutes over medium heat to sauté the tomato and gochujang paste.
3. Include the vegan crumbled sausages or ground meat if using. Pour the plant-based milk (such as soy milk).
4. Blend the ingredients together. Toast the tomatoes and add them. Large bits of tomato should be broken up. Sugar can be used to reduce the acidity.
5. Let the sauce heat through. You can season the sauce to taste at this point.

Preparation of Pasta

1. While that’s happening, cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes shorter than directed so it’s al dente and very chewy. Pasta should be cooked till al dente and then taken off the stove.
2. Hold on to a little of the pasta water.

Finishing the Pasta

1. To the tomato gochujang sauce, add part of the pasta water. Get rid of the oven heat.
2. Mix the finished pasta right into the sauce. Coat everything in the sauce by mixing everything up thoroughly. The pasta water can be increased if preferred. The spaghetti can be seasoned with salt and pepper if desired. Add some shredded vegan cheese for an extra special touch.
3. Use herbs like parsley and basil as a garnish. Enjoy while it’s still hot!