ramyaramesh3007This silky, smooth and creamy viral vodka pasta with a gochujang twist is the ultimate recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes! Dairy free and vegan.
I can’t believe it took me this long to try the viral vodka pasta – but I must say it’s one of the easiest pasta recipes I’ve tried and hence get the hype surrounding it. However, this recipe is completely vegan, dairy free and vodka-free (so everyone can enjoy it!)
To delve a little into the origins – the viral vodka quickly became THE “comfort food”, especially during the lockdown when people were experimenting more in the kitchen and were craving quick and flavourful meals. It was also popularised by Gigi Hadid who made her own version of the recipe.
What Do I Need?
- pasta: you can use any type of pasta for this recipe, I used Mafaldine because it coats the creamy sauce so well!
- aromatics: shallots, garlic
- gochujang: this is a korean spicy paste, and it’s pretty spicy with some notes of sweetness. You can reduce the amount of gochujang if you are sensitive to spice – you could also substitute with ssamjang paste which is a less spicy korean paste similar to gochujang.
- tomato paste: adds a nice red hue to the sauce! And a key ingredient for the tomato-cream base.
- cream: using soy cream gives it that nice pink colour, but you can also use full-fat coconut milk for a delicious whole-foods alternative.
- spices: gochugaru for extra spice
- herbs: fresh basil
- garnish: vegan burrata, olive oil, fresh basil, gochugaru
Allium free substitutions: Omit aromatics like onion and garlic – instead using a pinch of asafoetida. Substitute gochujang for chili paste or omit it altogether.
Gluten free substitutions: Use gluten free pasta – I recommend brown rice pasta. Omit gochujang.
Spicy Gochujang Vodka Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g dry pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic 1.5 tsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp gochujang heaped – add more for more spice
- 1 tsp gochugaru
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 5 g fresh basil
- salt
- black pepper
Garnish
- vegan burrata
- olive oil
- fresh basil
- gochugaru
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside, saving the pasta water.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Then add minced garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, gochugaru and gochujang. Add some pasta water to thin it out.
- Lower the heat and stir in the coconut cream and pasta water. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Stir in fresh basil and cook for 2-3 more minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb the sauce and for basil to cook.
- Serve hot, topped with fresh basil, vegan burrata, olive oil and gochugaru. Enjoy!