Creamy Gochujang Pasta with Crispy Chicken
This Creamy Gochujang Pasta with Crispy Chicken was Korean-Italian fusion recipe based off of a mix of Dom and I’s dinner cravings. Perfectly cooked pasta is tossed in a gochujang cream sauce that’s rich but spicy. Don’t forget the juicy pan-fried chicken on top, with crispy skin. This was our dinner for a night of staying inside with a cozy fall meal and a TV show. Trust me, you have to try it this weekend!
Spicy Creamy Gochujang Chicken Pasta
Hello, guys! for dinner tonight, Dom is craving Italian, I am craving Korean food. So, I thought we’d fun to do a fusion recipe together. Fusion recipes can be really a hit or miss for me, especially Asian fusion. Sometimes the soy sauce and fish sauce dominates most of the flavor things. Other times, I can barely taste Asian flavors or influences at all. But after trying the fusion pasta dishes in Korea and Japan, I fell in love and felt so inspired by just how well the flavors work together. This creamy gochujang chicken pasta is exactly what I mean.
This weekend was full of stay-in fall recipes that just makes everything extra cozy. Spicy creamy gochujang pasta and pan-fried crispy chicken on top was the perfect Saturday nigh-in meal while finishing the Gentlemen tonight. The show is so good! But, the best part of the night was that this might be the best spicy gochujang pasta I’ve ever done! It’s the right amount of spicy and savory, AND makes BOTH of us happy.
Ingredients For Spicy Creamy Chicken Pasta
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil
- 400 g pasta
- 1-2 shallots chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1.5-2 tbsp butter
- Chopped chives Optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese Optional
Crispy pan-fried Chicken
Today’s protein of choice is my favorite: boneless, skin-on chicken thigh! It’s not only my main protein for this dish, it’s also a key to an extra flavorful sauce. Rendering the fat from the chicken skin adds so much meaty flavors to the pasta itself. But, cooking the chicken separately keeps the chicken skin on top crispy. You can use a different cut, like chicken breast, or drumstick. But, as always, you may have to adjust the cooking time for a few minutes.
Creamy gochujang Pasta
To satisfy both our cravings tonight, we’re making a Gochujang Cream Pasta. This sauce combines the aromatics like garlic and shallots fried in the rendered chicken fat with gochujang, butter, and heavy cream. Pan frying the garlic first, and then cooking down the gochujang, brings out extra flavors without burning any of the ingredients. Any pasta that catches thick sauces well will work for this recipe. I use rigatoni today, but fusilli, cavatappi, or farfelle are all great options.
How To Make Spicy Gochujang Pasta with Crispy Chicken
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta based on package instructions.
- While the pasta is boiling, add oil into a pan. Turn the heat to medium and add chicken thighs and pan fry for approximately 8-10 minutes, allowing the chicken fat to slowly render, or until the skin is deeply golden and crispy.
- Flip each thigh, and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes or until golden-brown. Set aside chicken thighs to rest.
- Using the chicken fat left in the pan, sauté chopped shallots and garlic until fragrant.
- Add butter and gochujang, and let it cook together for a minute. Pour in your heavy cream and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Add in cooked pasta and toss every noodle until it’s coated in that creamy sauce. Optional but highly recommended, finish off with a little bit more butter and fresh chives.
- Slice chicken and serve on top of pasta garnished with shredded cheese.
Cozy Fall Recipes For A Stay-In Weekend
Creamy Gochujang Pasta with Crispy Chicken
By Tiffy Cooks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- salt and pepper to taste
- oil
- 400 g pasta
- 1-2 shallots chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1.5-2 tbsp butter
- Chopped chives Optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese Optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta based on package instructions.
- While the pasta is boiling, add oil into a pan. Turn the heat to medium and add chicken thighs and pan fry for approximately 8-10 minutes, allowing the chicken fat to slowly render, or until the skin is deeply golden and crispy.
- Flip each thigh, and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes or until golden-brown. Set aside chicken thighs to rest.
- Using the chicken fat left in the pan, sauté chopped shallots and garlic until fragrant.
- Add butter and gochujang, and let it cook together for a minute. Pour in your heavy cream and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Add in cooked pasta and toss every noodle until it’s coated in that creamy sauce. Optional but highly recommended, finish off with a little bit more butter and fresh chives.
- Slice chicken and serve on top of pasta garnished with shredded cheese.
