Chaos Cooking Kimchi Ragu Pasta (Print View)

A fusion dish combining spicy kimchi and Italian ragu tossed in creamy pasta for a hearty meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 10.5 oz ground pork (or beef or 50/50 blend)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 7 oz Napa cabbage kimchi, chopped (plus 2 tbsp kimchi juice)
05 - 1 medium carrot, finely diced
06 - 1 stalk celery, finely diced

→ Liquids & Dairy

07 - 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream (or unsweetened plant-based cream alternative)
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 tbsp soy sauce

→ Pasta

11 - 12.3 oz rigatoni or penne

→ Spices & Seasonings

12 - 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), optional
13 - 1 tsp sugar
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnishes

15 - 2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
16 - 0.9 oz grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground pork or beef, breaking up the meat as it cooks for 6 to 7 minutes until fully browned.
04 - Stir in chopped kimchi and kimchi juice, sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes to soften the kimchi.
05 - Add crushed tomatoes, soy sauce, gochugaru, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
06 - While sauce simmers, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water.
07 - Reduce heat to low. Stir heavy cream and half the reserved pasta water into the sauce, blending until creamy. Adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing gently to coat. Add remaining pasta water if a silkier texture is desired.
09 - Plate hot pasta garnished with scallions and Parmesan cheese if using.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort food from two kitchens at once, spicy and creamy in the best way.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, so you can actually pull this off on a weeknight.
  • Kimchi juice is the secret ingredient that makes people ask what you did differently with an ordinary pasta.
02 -
  • Kimchi juice is non-negotiable—it's where the fermented depth lives, so pour it all into the ragu, not down the drain.
  • Pasta water is your texture secret. A starchy slurry binds cream and tomato and makes the sauce cling to every strand rather than pooling at the bottom.
  • Taste the ragu before you add cream. You want to know if it needs more salt or spice, because cream mutes everything.
03 -
  • Use aged kimchi from the back of the fridge rather than fresh—it's more pungent and won't fall apart during cooking.
  • Reserve pasta water before you drain the pot. It's the difference between a sauce that clings and one that sits separate at the bottom.
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