Rose Pasta
Here’s another version of gochujang pasta, but this time with heavy cream—hence the name “rose.” I guess it comes from the way the red chili paste blends with the creamy white, creating a beautiful light red-pink hue. Romantic, right?
This isn’t my first time making it. I was originally inspired by the well-known food creator Doobedoobap, but my version includes crispy bacon, which adds a nice crunch that pairs perfectly with the creamy sauce. And let me tell you, paccheri lisci is a game changer. While spaghetti works too, this pasta holds the sauce beautifully, and even after sitting for five minutes, it doesn’t dry out or stick together like spaghetti does.
That said, paccheri lisci isn’t easy to find in Vietnam—you’ll probably need to hunt it down at specialty Western supermarkets. But if you do, it’s absolutely worth it.
Ingredients:
• 100g paccheri lisci pasta
• ½ onion (chopped)
• 1-2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tbsp gochujang (double for extra spice lovers)
• 2 strips smoked bacon
• 100-150ml heavy cream (adjust to taste)
• 20g unsalted butter
• Parsley (for garnish)
• Parmigiano cheese (grated)
Method:
1️⃣ Cook the pasta
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the paccheri lisci according to the package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
2️⃣ Prepare the bacon
While the pasta is cooking, heat a pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside, then chop into small pieces.
3️⃣ Sauté the aromatics
In the same pan, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.
4️⃣ Make the sauce
Add the gochujang and stir for about 30 seconds to release its flavor. Then pour in the heavy cream and mix well. Let it simmer for a minute. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
5️⃣ Combine everything
Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Stir in the crispy bacon and let everything cook together for another minute.
6️⃣ Serve
Plate the pasta, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano cheese, and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
