Do you remember – 2020, pandemic, global shutdown? It’s been a while and of course I’ve largely blocked out the time. But I still remember how we were suddenly all sitting in the home office, doing Zumba in the living room and sewing fabric masks and (for whatever reason?) having no toilet paper. I also published a blog post about +25 vegetarian recipes from the pantry – because you weren’t allowed/shouldn’t/couldn’t go out. If there was a pandemic again, God forbid, I would add this recipe to the list: Kimchi Tomato Spaghetti.
In 2020, it was not possible to assume that I would become absolutely addicted to kimchi. But the trend towards fermented superfoods not only didn’t pass me by. I always have various types of kimchi and other fermented vegetables on hand. Unfortunately it’s not a cheap treat in Germany, as it’s not a staple food here like it is in South Korea. I always buy kimchi from Complete Organics and actually like all types. I always have the “Mild Kimchi”, “Original Kimchi” and “Smoky Jalapeño Kraut” in the fridge. (I always eat the latter on fries – so much too healthy and so, oh well…) Luckily I can buy all of it in our little organic market in the neighboring town. And when I’m in the big Korean supermarket in Düsseldorf, I like to buy “Young Radish Kimchi” from Bibigo. The latter tastes particularly good on white rice with silken tofu.
For the kimchi tomato spaghetti, which originally comes from Meera Sodha’s wonderful cookbook “Happy”*, I use the mild kimchi from Complete Organics – extra spiciness comes from the chili powder. Frying kimchi is a cool thing: it naturally loses the sour “sizzle” and tastes completely new and different, but still very good. You probably kill the live lactic acid bacteria, which are actually the big health benefit of kimchi – but if you like, you can stir in a tablespoon of fresh kimchi afterwards.
Kimchi tomato spaghetti is absolutely suitable for quick, healthy after-work cooking. In the summer I’m also a huge fan of Kimchi Bibimguksu, where cold kimchi meets cold noodles. For me, this combination always works wonderfully.
I have modified Meera Sodha’s recipe slightly and e.g. B. increased the kimchi content and didn’t buy any extra pine nuts for the crumb mixture. Of course you can do it, but it also tastes wonderful.
More Asian food? Also try silken tofu with sesame-soy dressing (we eat it all the time!), delicious Bombay snails or vegan miso ramen.
*Amazon affiliate link
Kimchi tomato spaghetti
PRESS
Ingredients
for the spaghetti
- 1 toe Garlic crushed
- 1 EL sunflower oil roasted
- 1 EL toasted sesame oil
- ½ can chunky tomatoes
- 120 G Kimchi drained and roughly chopped
- 1 EL liquid honey or maple syrup
- 1 TL Chili flakes ideally: Gochugaru, I take Pul Biber
- Salt
- 200 G spaghetti
for the breadcrumbs
- 25 G Breadcrumbs (or panko)
- 1 EL sunflower oil
- 1 EL sesame oil roasted
- 1 TL sesame
preparation
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Heat the sunflower oil with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, 2 minutes.
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Add kimchi and stir-fry for a minute until no water is left.
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Add chili powder and honey, then add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Set the heat to low, place a lid at an angle (because it can splatter) and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes until it has thickened. Season to taste with salt – Attention: Kimchi can be salted differently, so I can’t give exact details. Just try it out.
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Meanwhile, for the breadcrumbs, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and sesame seeds and stir until crumbs are crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
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Cook the spaghetti in a large pot. Drain and set some of the cooking water aside.
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Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix. If the sauce still needs to be thinned, add a few tablespoons of pasta water. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
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Serve sprinkled with sesame crumbs and add more sesame oil (if desired).
