Kimchi Cream Pasta – 5 ingredients to make this rich, protein-packed pasta with a zing! 100% vegan, gluten-free and oil-free.

What is kimchi cream pasta?

First of all, what is kimchi? Kimchi is a fermented vegetable side dish that is one of the quintessential Korean foods.

Although the most common kind of kimchi that you see in restaurants and supermarkets is made out of Napa cabbage (baechu kimchi/배추김치), kimchi can be made with other kind of vegetables. Other popular vegetables that Koreans like to use in making kimchi include: leeks, cabbages and radishes.

Because kimchi is such an integral part of Korean culture, over time people have incorporated it into non-Korean cuisines, creating dishes that are inspired by two or more cuisines. For example, kimchi cream pasta or kimchi udon are popular dishes that younger generation of Koreans enjoy eating.

This recipe is my veganized version of a kimchi cream pasta, and it is completely vegan and gluten-free! Let's get started!

What do you need to make kimchi cream pasta?

To make this kimchi cream pasta, you only need the following 5 ingredients:

Cashews
Vegetable broth
Garlic
Kimchi
Pasta (I used chickpea fusili)

You will also need the following equipment:

A food processor
A large pan with lid

How do you make kimchi cream pasta?

Making this kimchi cream pasta is very straightforward. Simple follow these easy steps!

Prepare the cashews by rinsing. Then soak them in a bowl for 1 hr.
After the cashews have been soaked, drain the water and set aside.
In a small bowl, measure out the kimchi and the kimchi liquid. Then take a pair of kitchen scissors and roughly chop them to smaller pieces.
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cream sauce by blending the soaked cashews, garlic and salt in a food processor.
Blend for 3-4 minutes until smooth and creamy.
In a large pan (can be the same pot where you cooked the pasta, minus the pasta water), add the cashew cream sauce, kimchi and kimchi liquid and bring to a simmer on low heat.
Add the cooked pasta into the pan and mix until the pasta is well coated in the sauce, and cook for additional 2-3 minutes until the pasta has warmed up.
Garnish with sliced scallion pieces or dried red chili flakes (optional) and serve!

Tips and Tricks for the best kimchi cream pasta:

Use kitchen scissors to dice the kimchi. Trying to dice kimchi with knife always ends badly with pungent mess on the cutting board. Solve this problem by first placing the kimchi in a bowl and using kitchen scissors to roughly chop kimchi instead. It's way less messy!
Don't oversoak the cashews. You can soak the cashews for up to 2 hours without it going weird, but if you leave the cashews in the water for too long, they will turn gummy and unappetizing.

This kimchi cream pasta is...

So creamy, you'll be surprised there's no dairy here!
Zesty, inspired by the quintessential Korean side dish.
Protein-packed and filling.
Fully vegan, gluten-free and oil-free!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make it gluten-free? Absolutely! I used chickpea pasta for this recipe so it is already gluten-free, but you are welcome to use any other gluten-free pasta instead.
Can I make it with other kinds of kimchi (not cabbage)? You could, although I have not tried this myself. Personally I think the cabbage kimchi adds a good crunch to the recipe, and the other kinds (radish or leek based) are either too lumpy or tough.
Is this pasta spicy? The spice level depends on the kimchi used. The spice level of kimchi can range from neutral to a real kick. If you use a spicier kimchi, this pasta will be more spicy. However, the cashew cream helps to balance out the spice. Feel free to add dried chili flakes if you want more kick.

If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,