With thousands of five-star reviews, it’s not hard to see why this dish from The New York Times has quickly become a fan favourite among home cooks everywhere
Following a recipe can often feel like a daunting task – with lengthy lists of unfamiliar ingredients, expensive specialist kitchen equipment, and step-by-step instructions filled with culinary jargon that requires a Google translation.
However, not all recipes are created equal; some are straightforward, quick, and packed with flavour without the fuss.
One such dish, recently crowned champion by The New York Times, is exactly that. It’s been skyrocketing in popularity and racking up five-star ratings at a rate that’s causing a stir among home cooks worldwide.
This isn’t just another complex dinner idea requiring a plethora of exotic ingredients or hours of preparation – no need to be chained to the stove.
What makes Eric Kim’s Gochujang Buttered Noodles so special is their perfect balance of sweet, savoury and spicy flavours, achieved without any unnecessary hassle, reports the Express.
The dish packs a powerful flavour punch while only requiring six ingredients, which won’t break the bank either.
Food bloggers have been going wild for this recipe, and with a full five-star rating from over 9,616 reviews on The New York Times, it has earned the title of the newspaper’s highest-rated recipe.
At the centre of the dish lies the star ingredient gochujang, a Korean fermented red chilli paste that’s become a kitchen essential across East Asian households, though the fiery condiment has been winning over British palates as well. Major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda now carry the seasoning, offering both branded and own-label varieties on their shelves.
So what makes this recipe such a winner?
It delivers exactly what you crave when you’re knackered, famished, and need supper quickly, but refuse to compromise on flavour.
One delighted home cook who whipped up the dish recently raved: “Wow. This was SO good. I used Mike’s hot honey, which added a great extra kick to the sweetness of the dish.
“I also added sautéed spinach just for a little green veg and served it with a piece of chicken. The sauce was so good on the chicken! ! I definitely got more servings out of this by adding to it.”
Meanwhile, another foodie gushed: “Made this last night and it was just gorgeous! I ended up adding a bit too much honey, which made it quite sweet, but it actually worked quite well. 1000% would recommend making it and I’m going to make it again this week because it was just that good.”
- Start by bringing a large pot of water up to a boil, and add in around 500 grams of spaghetti and leave it to cook for as long as the packet suggests.
- Once cooked, drain the spaghetti, keeping 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt 4 good tablespoons of butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat.
- Add 12 finely chopped cloves of garlic – this may seem insane, but its flavour soon mellows in the butter – and a good pinch of salt.
- Gently fry for around three minutes until the garlic begins to soften and turn aromatic.
- Now, add around four tablespoons of gochujang paste into the garlic butter, along with the same amount of honey and either sherry or rice vinegar.
- Stir in and let it thicken up for around three more minutes.
- Finally, add everything into the spaghetti pot along with a couple of splashes of pasta water and a further two more tablespoons of cold butter.
- Constantly stir everything over a medium heat until the butter is melted and the sauce clings to the pasta noodles.
- Finally, plate up and optionally top with spring onions or coriander.
