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Spicy Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese with Gochujang. Use sriracha for variation. Vegan Recipe. Gluten-free with gluten-free pasta
There can’t be too many mac and cheese recipes right. This version has some gochujang (Korean condiment that is spicy, fermented and pungent). Gochujang makes an amazing glaze for tofu.
It also makes a great addition to a creamy sharp flavored mac and cheese. Add as much gochujang as you like, or use Asian Chile Sauce or Sriracha instead. Serve this mac with roasted veggies that are glazed in gochujang + soy sauce+ sugar or over some broccoli or with a lentil loaf with a sriracha maple glaze. I like this with a sprinkle of vegan parm and generous black pepper. A toasty breadcrumb topping with a mix of toasted bread crumbs, a clove of garlic minced and herbs of choice, works amazing as well.
More Mac from the blog
- Masala Mac and Cheese – Because Masala!
- Cauliflower Alfredo, Spinach, artichoke Lasagna
- Pumpkin Sage Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce and Crispy Sage
- Instant Mac and cheese mix in a jar – a must
- Nacho Mac and cheese Casserole – So filling.
- Black Pepper Mac and cheese with potato Carrot Cheese Sauce. So good!
Gochujang can be found in asian stores or online. It is a pungent sauce that can be an acquired taste, or can be bothersome on the tongue/taste buds as with any fermented food. Try a smaller amount in combination with an asian chile paste and experiment with more after. If the smell or flavor doesn’t work out for you, the sharp smell and flavor of heddar will mask it. Add vegan cheddar to the sauce and garnish. Gochujang can contain barley water, barley or barley malt which might not be listed as an ingredient. If you are gluten-sensitive, make sure to get certified gluten-free gochujang.
Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni pasta
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp gochujang or use sambal oelek, asian chile paste, or sriracha
- 4 cloves of roasted garlic
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1 tbsp cornstarch , or arrowroot starch
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp or more salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp prepared mustard or ground
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
- 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make your pasta according to instruction on the package by boiling in a large saucepan. Add broccoli in the last 3 mins.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic and cook until golden, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, blend all the ingredients from roasted garlic (spices, ketchup etc, through nutritional yeast until smooth. I usually blend 2 to 3 times for 1 minute cycles.
- Add gochujang or asian chile sauce to the cooking onion and mix well. Cook for a minute.
- Add the blended mixture to the skillet and cook to bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Add more of either if needed. At this point you can add in some vegan cheddar shreds if you like.
- Fold in the cooked pasta and broccoli and thyme and toss well. over and cook for 1 minute. Then switch off the heat. Let it sit for 2-3 mins.
- Sprinkle black pepper generously and/or vegan parm (optional) or vegan cheddar and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this twice, this is a Delicious, great recipe!
Eating this now and it’s delicious! Baked in a casserole dish with panko topping, roasted broccoli on side. This is just what I needed after a week of flu! I also made milk tea from your cookbook this morning using fresh made almondmilk from my Vitamix. Perfect!
I made this tonight! OMG it is so deeee-lishous! It tasted like sharp cheddar cheese! This is a keeper for sure. Thanks Richa!
I did get stuck on #3, it isn’t clear. I had to read and reread it.
3.Meanwhile, blend all the ingredients roasted garlic through nutritional yeast until smooth. Blend 2 to 3 times in 1 minute cycles.
I did too! But once i got it, it was fine. It tastes amazing!
you blend all the ingredients listed from roasted garlic to nutritional yeast. i’ll change it. Cashews sometimes dont break down easily, so blend the sauce a few times. I do 1 minute blending cycle and then break for a minute and then blend again.
Nice one, Richa! Such a creative take on a classic dish. The sauce thickened up just right, and the taste was so rich and flavorful. I subbed smoked paprika in mine, as I am hooked on that smoky goodness.
After eating some of the finished dish, I decided to put the rest in a casserole dish (with some panko on top) and bake it at 350 for 20-25 minutes or so, then turned on the broiler and en-crispened the top. Totally recommended! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
This is so good and you’re amazing. Some of your recipes are like magic to me — mixing a little bit of this and that and, voila, a delicious and original meal appears. I’m so thankful for your recipes because of my special diet and only eat delicious food.
Just made this for dinner, almost exactly as written (just added in half a red pepper that was floating around my vegetable drawer and the end of a bag of frozen peas) and it was amazing! Served it with a side of kimchi and a simple salad. I was planning to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, but my nonvegan boyfriend liked it so much that there isn’t any left.
Any sub for cashews, for people with nut allergies? Thanks!
maybe do a roux like a bechamel sauce. flour in oil or vegan butter. Roast for a minute or 2. Add non dairy milk. Add all the spices and herbs and bring to a boil to thicken, fold in pasta. See process here https://fettabbau-trim.today/2014/03/gluten-free-potstickers-with-tempeh-and.html%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I haven’t made this specific recipe YET, but I find that in many recipes that call for cashew, hemp hearts work super well as a replacement and are so very healthy! They don’t need any soaking either. Just go by weight for substitutions. Example: 1/4 cashews is usually about 30 g so replace with 30 g hemp hearts:-) good luck!
Outstanding recipe. Thank you.
This looks wonderful! My husband is a fan of anything spicy and mac n’ cheese, so I mush track down gochujang and try this. Thanks!
This is genius! I have gochujang at home and will definitely try this. I live in an area that has tons of Koreans and I’ve grown to like the food, but am usually limited to the tofu stews and bi bim bap. You are so creative! I like how you aren’t a snob and say ketchup or tomato paste—sometimes I don’t want to open a can of tomato paste for one teaspoon and I can’t really tell the difference (ketchup has some sugar in it, but can’t be that much in a teaspoon. I have to laugh at the garlicky in the title—do you think 4 cloves are that much? To me 4 is just a minimal to moderate amount!
lol Ellen, its 8 cloves, 4 minced and 4 roasted 🙂 i would add 8 roasted :). yes to the paste thing. Hate to waste it when I will not use it all. the slight sweetness balances the heat and tang well
Oops—sorry—my brain didn’t add the second line into the equation! Yup, four minced and 4 roasted will be sufficiently garlicky…
Buy the tubed tomato paste!