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The Korean Vegan

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Pasta and Noodles

Pasta and Noodles

Cabbage & Potato Pasta

Once more, this dish was inspired by yet another pasta dish featured in Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Specifically, the Milan episode, where he decides to treat his crew to Pizzoccheri, a pasta made primarily out of buckwheat flour, which is then dressed with cabbage, potatoes, garlic, cheese, and lots and lots of butter.

It’s meant to be eaten during the coldest months of winter, when you want some of the extra fat to keep you warm. The cabbage and potatoes are definitely “stick to your rib” types of ingredients, while the garlic infuses this dish with intense flavor. However, we are in spring here, in Chicago, and while I enjoy making my own pasta on occasion, I wanted to try making a dish that was a little bit easier to make, especially when we don’t have a lot of time on our hands. So, in lieu of the buckwheat pasta that Stanley so painstakingly rolled out for his guests, I decided to use penne, which, to me, mimicked the length and shape of the Pizzoccheri, and would also give the butter and cheese adequate purchase.

Pizzoccheri calls for cabbage that’s endemic to the region (savoy or “Milan” or “Lombardy” cabbage). Unfortunately, I could not find savoy cabbage in any of my local grocery stores, so I went with regular old cabbage. I also used yukon potatoes, as the waxier spud will ensure that the dish doesn’t get too mushy.

I also used about one quarter of the butter that’s typically used in the traditional recipe, to keep this pasta a lighter affair for a spring menu (though I look forward to December during which I will absolutely increase the butter content!). The key is cooking the butter at a very low temperature while the potatoes and pasta are cooking, so that your garlic is perfectly toasted when it’s time to sauce the pasta.

I made this for the first time for Easter Dinner and it was an absolute hit. I was so nervous that it wouldn’t go over well, but my casserole dish was spotless by the time dinner was over. The butteriness and the crunchy garlic, the creamy cheese, and silky cabbage all came together so beautifully, we couldn’t stop going back for more.

Cabbage and Potato Pasta

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4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cheese grated
  • 2 yellow potatoes cut into small cubes
  • 4 cups cabbage torn into 2 to 3-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 13 oz penne
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped

Instructions
 

  • Grate your cheese, chop your potatoes, and tear up your cabbage.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt, potatoes, and cabbage.
  • Your potatoes will need about 14 minutes to be fully cooked. Refer to the package instructions on your penne and add the penne to the same pot so that the potatoes and pasta will be finished cooking at the same time. (For example, if the box provides for a 12-minute cooking time, add your pasta to the pot 2 minutes after adding the potatoes and cabbage).
  • While the pasta and vegetables are cooking, add the butter and garlic to a small pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter has completely melted, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. The garlic will eventually turn a toasted golden color.
  • When the pasta is cooked, drain the excess liquid completely. Add half the pasta, cabbage, potatoes to a casserole dish and then sprinkle with half the cheese.
  • Add the remaining half of the pasta, cabbage, and potatoes to the casserole dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
  • Pour the butter and garlic over the top of the cheese.

Video

Keyword cabbage, pasta, potato
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Cabbage & Potato Pasta was last modified: April 14th, 2021 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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FoodMainsPasta and NoodlesTraditional Korean Recipes

Creamy Vegan Ramen Noodles

I love ramen noodles or “lah-myun” in Korean. My father would make Shin lah-myun (a very popular kind of lah-myun) every Sunday morning, like clockwork. I would wake up to the mouthwateringly spicy scent of it wafting up all the way from the kitchen right up to my bedroom.

There’s currently a ramen “hack” gaining popularity in TikTok where you add an egg, some mayo, and the soup packet into a bowl and cook this “base” with the ramen noodles to create creamy ramen. And while it looks interesting, it’s definitely not vegan. It did put me in the mood for creamy ramen noodles, though, which is why I decided to create my own version.

I used two things to create the creamy consistency–Korean soy milk and doenjang (fermented soybean paste). I love Korean soy milk or “dooyoo,” as it imparts a nuttier and sweeter flavor than its Western counterparts. Doenjang also provides both creaminess and intense flavor. Add a little big of soy sauce and we are off to the races when it comes to fancifying this otherwise humble lah-myun dish. I also packed in a heap of my favorite veggies–carrots, onions, zucchini, and cabbage, to give it extra heartiness. Cause, you know, my least favorite thing about lah-myun is how it never makes you feel full.

Creamy Vegan Ramen Noodles

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2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 packet soup base from ramen noodles
  • 1/2 cup julienned onions
  • 2 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, julienned
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp doenjang
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup soy milk
  • 1 packet ramen noodle
  • 1/2 cup julienned carrots
  • 1 cup julienned cabbage
  • 1/4 cup chopped zucchini
  • 1/4 cup cooked corn
  • 4 dumplings
  • 16 oz silken tofu
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1 gyerranmari, sliced
  • 1/2 Fresno chili, sliced
  • 1 scallion

Instructions
 

  • Add both olive oil and sesame oil to a large, deep pan over medium high heat. Add the packet of soup base to the pan and begin stirring, to ensure the spices do not burn, for 1 minute.
  • Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, and doenjang and stir until the vegetables are coated. Deglaze the pan with the soy sauce and then add water.
  • Add the soy milk and stir.
  • Next, add the ramen noodles, together with the carrots, cabbage, zucchini, corn, and dumplings.
  • Add the silken tofu and break up with a spoon.
  • Cook until the noodles are done, stirring as necessary, around 4 to 5 minutes. Garnish with gyerranmari slices, chili, and scallion.
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Creamy Vegan Ramen Noodles was last modified: March 27th, 2021 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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MainsPasta and Noodles

Creamy Zucchini Spaghetti

My husband and I watched CNN’s new travel porn show, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. We were immediately swept back to our favorite place on earth, though, tbh, I’ve never been to Southern Italy. Still, just hearing people speak Italian against the backdrop of the Amalfi Coast had me immediately hooked.

Easily the most memorable part of the premier episode was when they visited Lo Scoglio, a small restaurant in the seaside village of Marina del Cantone on Amalfi Coast. There, Tucci raved about his favorite zucchini spaghetti, spaghetti alla nerano. It sounded too good to not try veganizing, and by the time the episode closed out of its final staggeringly beautiful scene, I had it all planned out.

This morning, over breakfast, I spied a lone box of cannelini beans that my husband didn’t know where to store in the pantry (and thus, of course, just left on the counter hoping it would spirit itself to its rightful location, I guess). And I thought, well wouldn’t it be nice to incorporate a little healthy protein and fiber into this dish? So, I decided to jazz this pasta dish up with some beans.

And in so doing, I created one of the creamiest pastas I’ve ever made–no coconut milk, no non-dairy creamers, though yes, I did add a knob of butter, mostly because Tucci decries the fact that he was originally told the recipe had no butter, only to discover he’d been bamboozled. Anyhow, I highly recommend this recipe for an excellent mid-week meal. Because I opted to bake the zucchini in lieu of frying it, there’s a lot less work (and mess) involved, while you still get just as much flavor!

Creamy Zucchini Spaghetti

5 from 2 votes
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2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 zucchini
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup grated non-dairy parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 1 cup cannelini beans
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 box spaghetti

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450° F.
  • Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch discs and place them into a large bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt and set aside for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini and place them onto a baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the sheet and make sure they are in one layer (use two sheets, if necessary). Drizzle with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Allow the zucchini to cool while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
  • Begin cooking spaghetti until al dente. In the meantime, chop up your garlic and parsley.
  • In smaller container (I used a steel pot), add 2 tbsp of the baked zucchini, 2 tbsp of cannelini beans, and 4 tbsp of the water you're cooking you're pasta in. Blend with an immersion blender to create a paste.
  • In a large sautee pan, add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic (I also added some garlic peel which I removed before adding the rest of my ingredients). Allow the garlic to cook in the oil for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges turn brown.
  • When the pasta is just slightly undercooked, add it to the pan with the garlic. Add in the the cooked zucchini, the zucchini + bean paste, 1 cup pasta water, the rest of the cannelini beans, the grated parmesan cheese, as well as salt and pepper, to taste. Stir everything together over low heat.
  • Remove from heat and add parsley, butter, and another drizzle of olive oil before serving.
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Creamy Zucchini Spaghetti was last modified: February 20th, 2021 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Pasta and Noodles

Gnocch-bokki

Whenever someone asks me to describe what the “tteok” (ricecake) in “tteokbokki” tastes like, I reference gnocchi. Both are pastas, in a way, one made out of rice and the other made out of potatoes and flour. However, while tteok has a chewy texture, gnocchi–at least good gnocchi–is supposed to be light and fluffy. Still, both were similar enough for me to continue drawing the comparison and soon, inevitably, I figured I should try marrying them more literally.

Once you’ve mastered the art of gnocchi making, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to sauces. Why not use a more Korean flavored sauce for gnocchi over cream and butter? Why not use gochugaru and gochujang to make it spicy instead of cheese and herbs to keep it conventional? These are the deep philosophical questions I didn’t ponder when I came up with this delicious mouthwatering recipe that you’re going to want to try ASAP.

Here are some helpful do’s and don’t’s to help you on your way:

  • Read my earlier blog post on how to make gnocchi from scratch (if you intend to do so). Otherwise, you can use your favorite store-bought brand.
  • Sure, you can substitute chili powder or paprika for gochugaru or Sriracha for gochujang, but it will no longer be Gnocch-bokki. It will be some other dish with no Korean flavors in it. It may still be delicious though!
  • Don’t go overboard with adding too many vegetables. I stuck with just the basics–garlic, onions, and peas. If you add too much, you will overpower the gnocchi and its unique potato-y flavor.
  • Feel free to add more or less of either the gochugaru or the gochujang, depending on your spice tolerance.

Gnocch-bokki

A marriage of two foods.
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4 people

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp gochugaru
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp potato starch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp gochujang

Gnocchi

  • 4 servings gnocchi
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garilc, minced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, small diced
  • 1/3 cup green peas

Instructions
 

  • For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together and set aside.
  • Cook the gnocchi by boiling them for 90 seconds (until they begin to float).
  • In the meantime, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large non-stick pan over medium heat. When the gnocchi is cooked, transfer them directly to the pan (after shaking off excess water). Cook them for about 1 minute on each side, until they are golden brown. Remove them from heat.
  • In a separate pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot (about 1 minute), add the garlic and the red onion. Cook for about 2 minutes. Then, add the gnocchi and the peas, and cook for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the sauce, stirring to make sure the pasta is evenly coated.

Video

https://thekoreanvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Gnoccbokki.m4v
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Gnocch-bokki was last modified: December 23rd, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Pasta and Noodles

Scratch Gnocchi

Dear Gordon Ramsey,

Many years ago, I picked up a book called “humble pie.” It was about a young man who went through some things, and then, was about to become a super star football player, when he got injured and decided to cook instead. Lots of harrowing things happened in yachts and kitchens and restaurants all over the world, but this man fought off all the things that tried to crush his spirit with a whisk or a perfect plate of risotto. I then saw this man become a super star—not on the football field—but on TV, where his foul mouthed temper ALMOST dissembled the humility I’d grown to admire. But it was there, intact, just covered up under makeup and hot studio lights.  The other day, I saw a video of this man showing homecooks how to make gnocchi. I’m vegan, he’s not, but it looked so easy and scrummy, I had to try. I’d like to thank that man, the man who dished up such a delectable slice of Humble Pie, that one day, it would lead to me making the most delicious plate of gnocchi I’ve ever eaten.

I’d never made gnocchi before, but I’d heard enough about its challenges to do my homework. I read a ton of blogs and articles, and watched dozens of videos. Out of all of them, I was most inspired by this very short one by Gordon Ramsay. It looked simple enough to veganize and provided clear steps on how to achieve the “not-too-thick, but not-too-fall-apart-y” pasta.

I soon discovered that the key to good gnocchi is that there is no ONE key to good gnocchi. There are a lot of things you can and SHOULD do in order to set yourself up for gnocchi success. My first batch turned out horrible–they dissolved into mashed potatoes (delicious mashed potatoes) that I happily ate right out of the pan. I was so obsessed with using as little flour as possible (the oft repeated warning for gnocchi noobs), I didn’t use enough and the potatoes rightfully turned into mush. Determined not to be defeated by the gnocchi, I tried again, and added twice the amount of flour. It turned out great!

So, here, I’ve distilled for you my own “do’s and don’t’s” for your perfect gnocchi. I know these will work, because I tried it again the next day and they turned out better than the day before!!

Tips on making your own perfect scratch gnocchi:

  • Use russet potatoes. They are starchier and will therefore facilitate an easier dough.
  • Use BAKED potatoes, not boiled. Baked potatoes will eliminate excess water, while boiled potatoes will ADD water.
  • Make sure to RICE your potatoes. If you don’t have a ricer, you can use a sieve (though, you will waste a lot of potato that way…). Using a fork is the last resort. You want to aerate your potatoes, to eliminate excess moisture and keep them “fluffy,” and the best way to achieve that is to rice the potatoes.
  • In terms of the amount of flour, I use the 1 in 4 rule: divide the total weight of your potatoes (baked and peeled) by 4. That’s how much flour I like to use.
  • Sift your flour over your potatoes, to avoid clumping.
  • Avoid kneading your dough–pulling at the dough will create gluten, which you want to avoid. Simply fold the flour into the potato and press down, in order to facilitate binding.
  • Cook your gnocchi until they float to the surface of your pot–do not cook for any longer than necessary, as they will start to melt away if you do….!
  • Transfer your boiled dough directly to a pan of hot oil, to finish them off!

Scratch Gnocchi

Veganized version of Gordon Ramsay's gnocchi.
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2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 russet potatoes, baked and peeled
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp vegan sour cream
  • 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup petite peas
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Rice the potatoes while they are still warm (otherwise, it will be much harder to rice them). If you do not have a ricer, you can also push them through a sieve. Otherwise, mash them up with a fork while also trying to "fluff" them.
  • Sift flour over the potatoes. Add sour cream and 1 tbsp of olive oil.
  • Using a bench scraper, fold a section of the potatoes over the top and inwards. Continue with this motion until a loose dough starts to form. Then, start using your hands to continue the folding motion, while gently pressing the dough into itself. Repeat this motion for approximately 1 minute.
  • Roll the dough into a thick (2 inches in circumference) log. Divide the log in half. Begin rolling one piece into a long rope, approximate 12-16 inches. If the dough becomes too sticky, dust it with flour.
  • Dust your knife with flour. Cut the rope into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Create dimples in each piece using the end of your spoon.
  • Add your fresh pasta to a pot of salted boiling water. Cook until the pasta floats to the surface (approximately 90 seconds). In the meantime, place a non-stick pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil.
  • When the pasta is cooked, transfer the gnocchi directly from the pot to the pan, which should be nice and hot by now. Cook until golden and flip (about 1 minute). Cook for an additional minute and add thyme, garlic, peas, butter, and salt. Spoon the butter over the pasta a few times.

Video

https://thekoreanvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Gnocchi.m4v
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Scratch Gnocchi was last modified: December 27th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Pasta and NoodlesTraditional Korean Recipes

Rabokki

Rabokki Is My Most Popular Recipe.

Hands down, Rabboki is the most popular recipe I’ve ever shared on my Instagram. I dunno—something about the spicy chewy rice cakes combined with ramen noodles make people go crazy for this dish! Someone once told me that they were at a Korean grocery store when they spotted a woman who looked a little lost. She went up to her and asked if she could help her find something, and the woman held up her phone and said, “Where can I find this?” It was a picture of my tteokbokki dish!!

I know what you’re thinking: “I thought we were making rabokki. What’s tteokbokki?”

rabokki

Tteokbokki + Ramen = Rabokki.

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean streetfood, made out of chewy rice cakes (naturally gluten free) and a fiery red sauce. The word “tteok” means “rice cakes” and “bokki” refers to “bokkeum,” which means “stir fried.” “Rabokki” is what happens when you mix tteokbokki with ramen noodles. So, if you like tteokbokki (which most people do) and you like ramen noodles (I mean…who doesn’t like ramen noodles?), you will LOVE Rabokki.

This Dish Is SPICY!!

Be prepared, however, for some heat. This dish is not for the faint of heart. There are entire TV shows in Korea devoted to seeing how people react to the spiciest tteokbokki in Korea. How does it get so spicy, you ask? Gochugaru, which is Korean pepper powder or Korean chili flakes. Gochugaru (literally translated “chili powder”) is derived from Korean chilis. How does gochugaru relate to the popular “gochujang”? Gochujang, which translates into “chili sauce” is also derived from the same Korean chili; however, it’s “saucified,” if you will, by adding sweeteners, brown rice flour or wheat, and fermented bean paste (doenjang). Both gochujang and gochugaru will play a role in this recipe.

What do the rice cakes taste like? Some people liken them to gluten free gnocchi, only chewier. There is a definite bite to tteokbokki, not just because of the heat. Adding ramen noodles simply add another component to have fun digging around for in the pan. Before going vegan, one of my favorite Korean bars used to make rabokki with rice cakes, ramen noodles, tempura sweet potatoes, and deep fried dumplings! The idea is, you can pretty much add whatever you like to this dish, as long as you make enough sauce to coat it all in glorious fiery heat.

rabokki

A Few Tips To Make The BEST Rabokki EVER.

  • If you can, look for the fresh made tteok in the Korean grocery store. They are usually delivered fresh that morning, so if you get there before the afternoon, there should be plenty left for you. Just ASK!
  • If you can only find frozen ones (that’s all right!), pop.em in the microwave for about a minute, until they are just starting to soften.
  • Marinate ricecakes in a little sesame oil to get them nice and soft.
  • Use dried shitake mushrooms in lieu of fresh ones—they pack way more favor and you just need to add a cup of filtered water to reconstitute them. Then, you can save the water and use it as a broth!

Check it out on YouTube

Other recipes to try

  • MUSHROOM GOCHUJANG PASTA
  • SIMPLE PASTA
  • THE NOTORIOUS “RBG”: RICE, BEANS, AND GREENS

Rabokki

“Rabokki”is what happens when you mix tteokbokki with ramen noodles. So, if you like tteokbokki (which most people do) and you like ramen noodles(I mean…who doesn’t like ramen noodles?), you will LOVE Rabokki.
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4

Ingredients
  

  • 8-10 ounces tube shaped rice cakes frozen, but fresh is better
  • 2-3 Tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1/4 red onion sliced
  • 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms dried
  • 1 carrot thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup broccoli
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 Korean squash, chopped can sub zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Korean chili flakes "gochugaru"
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons gochujang
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1-2 cups water or mushroom dashi
  • 1 green onion sliced

Instructions
 

  • Marinate rice cakes in 1 tbsp of sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
  • Marinate mushrooms with 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tsp of soy sauce, and a pinch of salt.
  • Make sauce in advance by mixing together 1 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tbsp maple syrup.
  • Add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat in a non-stickpan.
  • Add onions and mushrooms and cook until they start to brown.  Add garlic.
  • Add all remaining veggies and cook until they just start to get soft. Season with salt.
  • Add rice cakes and sauce. Stir together until all veggies and rice cakes are evenly coated with sauce. Add 1 cup of mushroom broth (or water). Cook on low heat until sauce becomes thick and rice cakes are soft.
  • While rice cakes are cooking, cook ramen noodles according to packageinstructions—al dente (i.e., don’t cook them all the way). Add almost cooked rice noodles to rice cakes and incorporate into sauce. Garnish with sliced green onions. Enjoy!
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Rabokki was last modified: April 14th, 2021 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Gluten FreeMainsPasta and Noodles

Six Ingredient Simple Onion Pasta (Gluten Free)

Simple, delicious and ready to go in minutes? That’s how this simple onion pasta rolls!

This Simple Onion Pasta recipe is the perfect meal for after a long day of work, when the carbs and brain cells have been depleted from your body [basically every day for me]. One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it demonstrates how deliciously simple some of the best recipes can be. This recipe requires so few ingredients (just 6!!) and takes only 20 minutes to make, but ends up tasting like you’ve been cooking all day long.

The secret to this dish are the onions. Ok, I guess since this is “Onion Pasta,” it’s not really a secret. But, hear me out. I use two kinds of onions for this dish—both white and red—in order to maximize flavor. I guess the REAL star to this ingredient is patience. I know, what a boring ingredient, but it’s so true. This is one of those recipes that will taste so much better if you just let the onions sit in their own juices and get caramelized with their own sugars. The more you agitate them, the less likely you will achieve that glorious flavor.

onion pasta in pot

Many people like to use a thickening agent to thicken their pasta sauces. But, not me. I like to use pasta water to do that job. You’ll find that pasta water can create light broths when poured over some toasted garlic, and do all the thickening you need without using ingredients like corn starch, cashews, or butter. Plus, it’s the way the Italians do it! Once you get used to adding pasta water to your favorite pasta dishes, you will never go back, trust me.

I’ve made this dish so often, only because it requires so little effort for the amount of deliciousness involved. So, the next time you have a couple of onions in your house and you don’t know what to do with them, give this Simple Onion Pasta a try. You will NOT be disappointed!

Six Ingredient Simple Onion Pasta (Gluten Free)

5 from 1 vote
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3

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 red onion julienned
  • 1/2 white onion julienned
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 box Gluten free spaghetti
  • parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Begin cooking pasta according to instructions on box.
  • In a large pan over medium high heat, add extra virgin olive oil.
  • When oil is hot, add onions. Allow them to cook with relatively little agitation for about 3 minutes. Then add garlic and salt.
  • Continue cooking garlic and onions, not stirring minimally, until onions begin to brown (an additional 4-5 minutes). Add more salt.
  • When onions are fairly brown, take 1 ladleful or ¼ cup of the water from your cooking pasta (“pasta water”) and add to cooking onions. Reduce heat. When the sauce has reduced completely, add an additional ¼ cup of pasta water.
  • Add cooked pasta to the onions and incorporate into the onions. Add additional pasta water as necessary if pasta is too dry.
  • Garnish with a little more olive oil and fresh parsley.
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Six Ingredient Simple Onion Pasta (Gluten Free) was last modified: October 14th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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MainsPasta and Noodles

Mushroom Gochujang Pasta

This Mushroom Gochujang Pasta, like many things, was an borne out of a need. And that need was to not waste all the mushrooms I had. You know the drill—you see something on Pinterest full of mushrooms and you KNOW that you can do it, so you go all out at the grocery store (when that was a thing…) and buy every variety of mushrooms known to man, because you are SO going to do that Pinterest mushroom recipe thing.

But then, life—i.e., the kids’ soulless fetish for Mac ‘N Cheese—gets in the way and your mushroom dreams look a little grim. Well, here’s your chance to redeem yourself!! Actually, this was really more about my own redemption, guys, not gonna lie.

But, you are the happy beneficiaries of my funghi soul searching! So, don’t let this be that pinterest post that dies on the vine—whip out those shrooms and try this amazing Mushroom Gochujang Pasta!

Mushroom Gochujang Pasta

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Ingredients
  

  • 10-15 each mushrooms sliced
  • 3/4 medium white onione sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons gochujang
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon hummus
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin
  • 1 cup mushroom broth can sub any broth or water
  • 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 box pasta cooked according to directions on box
  • 1 cup pasta water

Instructions
 

  • Make sauce by mixing together gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, and hummus. Set aside.
  • Add extra virgin olive oil to pan over medium high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, add mushrooms to pan. Do not mess with them for about 1 minute. Give them a stir with a wooden spoon or tongs and then let them sit for another 1 minute without bothering them.
  • Next add onions and garlic. Similarly allow them to sit with the mushrooms without messing with them for about a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add sauce mixture to cooked veggies, along with broth/water. Bring to a quick boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked chickpeas.
  • When pasta is ready, add to pan with sauce and veggies, along with a little pasta water (2 tbsp at a time) if sauce is too dry.
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Mushroom Gochujang Pasta was last modified: October 14th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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FoodPasta and Noodles

Simple Pasta

Simple pasta recipes are among my favorite. Not only are they easy to make, they require fewer ingredients, which means I can usually pull it off even when my groceries are beginning to dwindle.

Not only that, I find that simple pasta dishes allow the ingredients to do all the talking—thin slivers of garlic that toast into golden nuggets in the sizzling oil, cherry tomatoes that burst into a sweet broth, and bright punches of basil to round the dish off.

I love this pasta dish so much, I actually included it as part of the rehearsal dinner for my wedding in Rome. I was cautioned by my husband’s Roman cousins that this “dish is for children!” and not fancy enough for the affair, but believe it or not, it was the undisputed HIT of the party. My father—a pasta-holic—actually had thirds. I’m confident that this simple pasta recipe will become a staple in your kitchen and your family will be grateful for it! So give it a try!

Other Pasta Dishes To Try

  • Gnocchi
  • Black Bean Spaghetti
  • Kimchi Mac and Cheese

Simple Pasta

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 box spaghettti
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic mined or sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 turns white wine
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 5-6 leaves basil
  • 1 Tablespoon capers

Instructions
 

  • Begin boiling water with a healthy pinch of salt for pasta.
  • In the meantime, over medium high heat, add olive oil in a large pan. Add garlic and cook until edges just start to brown (don’t wait too long; else it will burn and your life will be ruined, ruined I say).
  • Add tomatoes, capers, oregano, salt, and pepper.
  • After tomatoes have cooked for a minute, add white wine (I added two turns of the pan).
  • Let it all come to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer while your pasta cooks.
  • Once your pasta is al dente (save your pasta water!), add to the pan of sauce and incorporate.
  • Add more salt as needed. If it starts to get dry, add a ladle of pasta water, one scoop at a time until you achieve a creamy consistency. Sprinkle with torn bits of basil and serve.
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Simple Pasta was last modified: May 11th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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I veganize Korean food. I Koreanize everything else.

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the.korean.vegan

The Korean Vegan, Esq.
Over a year ago, after the death of Ahmaud Arbery, Over a year ago, after the death of Ahmaud Arbery, I started thinking a great deal about how to eradicate systemic racism in this country and the role that solidarity between various groups played in that objective.  In the past several months, as the AAPI community grappled with the rise in violence against its most vulnerable, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand what we can learn from the this nation’s ongoing struggle with white supremacy and what, if any value, our solidarity with the Black American community could bring to that fight. This isn’t an easy post to write, partially because I am still learning and many of my thoughts remain unformed. Race, identity, oppression—these things are slippery, naturally evade definition, and as a result, it’s hard to have discussions about these things without causing injury—especially when we are all grieving as we continue to watch people die.
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Not everyone’s activism looks the same. Mine tends to be more introspective, perhaps because I, like so many others, struggle with identifying concrete things I can actually do to make things better.  For me, it always boils down to “doing the right thing.” Character, integrity, loyalty. Showing up even when it’s so much easier to turn our backs and walk away. I write this now even as I know that I haven’t yet been really tested, that my commitment to BLM and the continued fight against systemic racism remains somewhat theoretical. When has my privilege really been threatened, when have I had to allow my own safety to be jeopardized for the safety of others?
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I don’t yet know what the complete form of solidarity looks like, but I do know what it’s not: convenient.
Strawberry Milk! So easy. Just cut up some strawbe Strawberry Milk! So easy. Just cut up some strawberries, add a little orange zest, drop on some sweetener, then pour in 1/4 cup coffee creamer and 1 cup of your favorite plant milk! If you want extra berry flavor, marinate your cut strawberries in the sweetener for 1 hour before adding your liquids. The best part is scooping the strawberries into your mouth at the end. Trust me!
Someone asked me the other day whether I had ever Someone asked me the other day whether I had ever experienced any incidents of racism in my life. I had to laugh because at first I thought it was rhetorical. Of course I have. I’ve grown up with it. I don’t say that to play the victim-quite the opposite. It’s something I now take for granted as part of my life. And as I answered the question I realized it’s part of my “American life.” I’ve been thinking a lot these days about what it means to be “American.” It isn’t an easy one to answer and I think it’s an intensely personal question. So I answered it in reference to my own experiences. Recipe for this simple kimchi fried rice on my blog, thekoreanvegan.com. Just look up “fried rice.”
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