November 19, 2009
Kitchen Improv (Borderline Gross Edition): Kimchi Pasta
Remember when I made kimchi fried rice? It has become my staple meal when I feel ultra lazy. Read: ALL THE TIME.
So how panicked was I when I went to the kitchen yesterday to take out all the precious ingredients out of the fridge, but then realize that I was missing RICE.
Epic FAIL. As @Jerkey pointed out, “What self-respecting Japanese person does not have rice at hand at all times??”
Apparently, this Japanese person.
I literally didn’t have anything to eat other than kimchi, sausages, egg, green onions and… PASTA?!?!??? Could I do it? More importantly, should I do it? It really sounded assnasty but thought it was worth an experiment, umamimart style.
It couldn’t be far off from, say, japchae, right? Oh god, so off-course already.
Side note: the Japanese are known to add the wackiest, unheard of stuff with pasta- enough to make a Sicilian mama cry in her bed at night with shame and sorrow. See Yamahomo’s recipe with furikake here, and Yoko’s karasumi pasta with baby sea creatures here (actually, I believe this is a Sardinian dish in origin, so mama, stop crying).
Basically I did everything the same exact way as I would make the fried rice.
Sautee the kimchi, green onions, sausages.
Add the PASTA. Oh god, here we go.
I like to add extra kimchi juice cause apparently I like my pasta TRUE BLOOD SAUCY.
Even after the kimchi juice though, it was lacking the umph factor (UMAMI). So I added two god-foresaken condiments: tonkatsu sosu (Japanese worcestershire) and kewpie mayo.
Cue Sicilian mama sob sounds.
The little white glob here would be the mayo.
Let’s meditate on the grossness of these additions for a moment. Squeal if necessary.
In support of high cholesterol, I added a barely-cooked fried egg. Mmm… Shave over some parmigiano (ok, ok, this one came out of a green tube) and crack some pepper. Et voila!
And you know, it wasn’t bad!! I think the next time I feel like having noodles instead of rice (which is to say most of the time), I will make this again. Definitely do not need the tonkatsu sauce, that was so unnecessary. But the mayo gave the whole thing some depth and texture, so that was a good call.
What do you think, folks? Yay or Nay??
PS- I am just seeing that our friend Ambitious Deliciousness just made kimchi pasta earlier this month. Her’s is much prettier, but I do feel a bit more validated for making this. Holler.
*Kayoko lives in Cupertino, CA. Her sole goal in life at the moment is to be a kickass bartender. And then, take over the world by getting everyone drunk.
9 Comments
I love how you TOTALLY know that some readers will be like…WHAT?! =)
Kimchi juice makes this dish. More fermented, the better!!
this loooks so delicious to me!
Kimchi fried rice is a staple in my kitchen. And kimchi pasta would be the next step, bring it on! I once had kimchi doria when I visited Japan: rice, kimchi, white sauce and cheese cooked under a grill (like a gratin) and although it sounds horrendous was actually rather yummy!
Make me this when I come home next week!!!!!!
Hey that's not half bad! I was envisioning something else but that looks really good. The sausage helps a lot and the egg helps for aesthetic. When I say "Kimchee Ramen" to myself I am able to wrap my head around it.
Yum … now I want some Chigae!!
I always use gochujang and egg and mix that in with my pasta, and toss some chopped kimchee on top. Yum Yum!
-Vivian
Hi Kayoko – Looks great to me! The thing I have an issue with is….how the heck could you be out of rice??!!!? he-he-he……
i love you guys! you're the only ones who indulge me in my ridiculousness.
My girlfriends and I make this sometimes, except we also add in some spaghetti sauce. The spicier the better!