Gochu Pasta

The amazing thing about the influx of Asian sauces and condiments available in our regular grocery stores is the ease with which we can now add them to our regular cooking options, without having to make a trek to a special store. Here, we incorporate gochujang into a regular pasta, taking it from pretty tasty to outstanding without doing any more work.

This is the perfect side to any meat or side option, be it grilled chicken or fish, or roasted veg.

Gochu Pasta

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 large onion, chopped

4 tablespoon gochujang

4 tablespoon tomato paste

500 grams (2 cups) orzo pasta (or other small sized pasta like acini de pepe)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional (can also sub grated parmesan)

a few chives, chopped or any other favorite herb you have on hand

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and chopped onion. Continue cooking until softened and starting to brown. Add the gochujang and tomato paste, stirring them into the onion-mixture over medium heat for about 1 min, until fragrant and starting to brown a little.

Add the orzo in over it, then stir again to incorporate the onion mixture. Turn the heat up to medium-high, spoon in the soy sauce and stir again, before pouring in 5 cups freshly boiled water.

Bring the pan back to a boil, then turn the heat down to let it simmer away, uncovered, for 10 mins. Give the pan a casual stir every now and again so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the base of the pan — the orzo should be just cooked and the liquid all-but absorbed.

Stir in the nutritional yeast, then spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with chopped chives, or whichever other herb you have to hand.

Enjoy!