Gochujang buttered noodles

Looking for a vibrant, reliable pantry meal that hits the spot in minutes? These garlicky, buttery noodles from 205focus.com are the answer. By combining the deep, complex heat of gochujang with honey and sherry vinegar, you create a perfectly balanced sauce that is sweet, savory, and tangy all at once.

Simple Ingredients, Bold Flavor

This recipe yields four servings and is highly adaptable. While this version utilizes spaghetti, you can easily swap in your favorite pasta or even speed up the process with fresh or instant ramen noodles.

• 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup gochujang paste (ensure it is the paste, not the sauce)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: Finely chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions

Preparation Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook your spaghetti according to the package instructions, and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Return the noodles to the pot.
2. While the pasta boils, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic and a generous pinch of salt, cooking until fragrant and softened—about 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Whisk in the gochujang, honey, and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce reduces enough to leave a trail behind your spatula for about 3 seconds. Remove from the heat.
4. Add the sauce and the final 2 tablespoons of butter to the cooked pasta. Toss vigorously until the butter emulsifies, using the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as needed. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro or scallions, and serve hot.

Pro Tips

For the best results, always use plain gochujang paste rather than gochujang sauce, which contains extra additives. A quick trick for measuring the paste: lightly oil the inside of your measuring cup first so the gochujang slides out easily. If you are cooking just for one, you can scale the recipe down to 4 to 5 ounces of noodles, 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, 3 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon each of gochujang, honey, and vinegar, reducing the cooking time accordingly.