Today I wanted noodles, but I wanted something new; something I wouldn’t find elsewhere. I looked at all my noodle choices at home – udon, Korean noodle soup, ramen, rice noodles, and of course, pasta. And then my mind went to my long neglected blog and I thought, “Perfect! What a great day to invent a recipe for my Korean pasta series!”
So I dug around my kitchen to look for an inspiration, went to the mart for missing ingredients, and put together a recipe, and got going. The result? It could be better to be honest, but delicious nonetheless. I made a little over 2 servings and finished it if that tells you anything.
The only thing I would change is the soybean paste I used. I used a very thick, highly aromatic Korean soybean paste. The smell was strong, but the flavor was covered by the saltiness. I wanted to use miso paste, but decided to use up the soybean paste I already opened. This recipe would have been better if I had just gone with the miso. Thus, the recipe I am writing down includes miso instead of what I used.
So if you are up for an experiment, a new flavor, something to enjoy with your partner over a glass of wine, I say give this a go. It brings together much loved Korean ingredients, served in a medium of beautiful pasta noodles, making it a perfect accompaniment for good company.
- Ingredients:
- 300 grams pasta noodles
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (can replace with any other mushroom)
- 4 strips of pork belly, sliced
- 1/2 a zucchini, sliced into quarters
- 1/4 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 green chili peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon miso paste
- 1 Tablespoon perilla seed oil (optional)
- a handful of microgreens
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup saved pasta water
- Recipe:
- boil salted water and cook pasta noodles to al dente according to package directions – I used malfadine
- while the noodles are cooking, add mushrooms (no oil) to a pan and heat on medium
- when the mushrooms start to brown, add the pork belly and stir fry
- when the pork is almost done cooking, add the zucchini, leek, chili pepper, and black pepper
- turn the heat high and stir-fry until the veggies take on color
- meanwhile, take a spoonful of miso and mix in a little pasta water to loosen it into a sauce
- add the miso sauce and the rest of the pasta water into the pan
- boil it down about halfway and add the perilla seed oil now if you are using it
- mix in the noodles until the noodles are well-coated
- plate the pasta then top it with microgreens and sesame seeds
boil salted water and cook pasta noodles to al dente according to package directions – I used malfadine
while the noodles are cooking, add mushrooms (no oil) to a pan and heat on medium
when the mushrooms start to brown, add the pork belly and stir fry
when the pork is almost done cooking, add the zucchini, leek, chili pepper, and black pepper
turn the heat high and stir-fry until the veggies take on color
meanwhile, take a spoonful of miso and mix in a little pasta water to loosen it into a sauce
add the miso sauce and the rest of the pasta water into the pan
boil it down about halfway and add the perilla seed oil now if you are using it
mix in the noodles until the noodles are well-coated
plate the pasta then top it with microgreens and sesame seeds
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