Gochujang Pasta (One Pot Spaghetti)

This easy one pot gochujang pasta is creamy, spicy, smoky, and packed with flavor — all made in a single pan with minimal cleanup. Juicy roasted tomatoes slowly melt into the rich gochujang cream sauce while crispy bacon adds savory depth to every bite.

Unlike traditional cream pasta recipes that require multiple pots and long ingredient lists, this version uses simple pantry ingredients and cooks everything together in one skillet. The spaghetti absorbs the spicy creamy broth as it cooks, creating a glossy restaurant-style sauce with very little effort.

If you love spicy Korean-inspired pasta recipes and easy weeknight dinners, this one pot gochujang pasta is a must-try!

What Is Gochujang Pasta?

Gochujang pasta is a fusion-style pasta dish made with Korean gochujang paste, cream, cheese, and pasta.

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste with a deep savory flavor, slight sweetness, and gentle heat. When combined with cream and cheese, it creates a rich rosé-style sauce that coats the noodles beautifully.

This one pot version allows the spaghetti to cook directly inside the sauce, making the pasta extra flavorful while keeping cleanup easy.

What Makes This One Pot Pasta Recipe Different?

Everything Cooks in One Pan

Unlike traditional pasta recipes that require boiling pasta separately, this recipe cooks the spaghetti directly in the sauce.

As the pasta cooks, it absorbs the rich tomato and gochujang flavors while naturally thickening the sauce with its starch. The result is a creamy glossy pasta with almost no extra dishes to wash.

The Tomatoes Create a Naturally Rich Sauce

Instead of using canned tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes are pan-roasted directly in the skillet until soft and jammy.

After peeling and mashing them, the tomatoes melt into the cream sauce and create a fresh flavor that balances the richness of the heavy cream and cheese beautifully.

Bacon Adds Smoky Flavor to the Entire Dish

The bacon is cooked directly under the pasta while the spaghetti simmers.

As it cooks, the bacon fat slowly renders into the sauce, adding a smoky savory flavor throughout the entire pan. Cutting the bacon into bite-sized pieces after simmering also keeps the texture tender instead of overly crispy.

Tips for Making the Perfect One Pot Gochujang Pasta

Use Medium Heat Instead of High Heat

Cream sauces can reduce very quickly over high heat, especially in shallow pans. Cooking over medium heat allows the pasta to absorb the liquid gradually without burning the bottom of the pan.

If the sauce becomes too thick before the spaghetti finishes cooking, simply add a small amount of water or stock.

Adjust the Spice Level

Different brands of gochujang can vary in spice level and saltiness.

For a stronger spicy flavor, use 2 tablespoons of gochujang. If you prefer a milder creamy rosé pasta, start with 1 tablespoon instead.

Adjust the Salt Depending on Your Liquid Base

I used canned chicken stock for the liquid base in this recipe, which already contains salt. If you are using plain water instead of stock, make sure to taste the pasta before plating and add salt as needed. The final seasoning level can vary a lot depending on the type of stock you use.

Remove the Tomato Skins

After simmering for a few minutes, the tomato skins will naturally loosen and peel away easily. Removing the skins creates a smoother and creamier sauce texture.

Choose the Right Type of Spaghetti

I used Fusilli Lunghi for this recipe because its long curly shape helps trap the creamy gochujang sauce beautifully. The twists and small gaps between the curls allow the sauce to cling to the noodles much better than smooth regular spaghetti. Some Fusilli Lunghi varieties also have a slight hollow center, which helps hold even more sauce inside each bite, making the pasta extra flavorful and satisfying.

Different brands and thicknesses of spaghetti can absorb liquid very differently. Thin spaghetti cooks faster and may become too soft in one pot recipes, while thicker spaghetti usually holds its texture better and creates a more al dente result.

Slightly Undercook the Spaghetti at First

The sauce will continue thickening after the lid is removed and the cheese is added. Cooking the spaghetti until just al dente helps prevent the pasta from becoming overly soft later.

Mix the Sauce Before Adding It to the Pan

It’s best to mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl before pouring them into the pan. This helps the gochujang dissolve more evenly into the cream and stock, creating a more consistent flavor throughout the pasta. In the video, I added the seasonings separately directly into the pan simply for a more visually satisfying presentation.

Customize the Creaminess Level

Add the gouda cheese if you want the pasta to have an extra creamy, rich, and velvety texture. The melted cheese helps thicken the sauce and gives the dish a more indulgent flavor.

If you prefer a lighter texture and cleaner tomato-gochujang flavor, you can simply skip the cheese.

Equipment

• Large nonstick skillet or sauté pan with lid (Mine is 12inch)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Potato masher

Ingredients  

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 slices bacon
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 6 oz spaghetti (I used Fusilli lunghi)
• 4 white mushrooms (or Baby Bella mushrooms; cut into thick slices.)

– For the Sauce

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1½ cup chicken stock (or beef stock)
• 2 tbsps gochujang (Use 1 tbsp if you prefer a milder spice level)
• 1 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

– Optional

• 4 slices gouda cheese
• ½ tbsp Dried parsley (for garnish)

Instructions 

1. Add the butter to a nonstick skillet and melt it over medium-low heat.

2. Cut the bottoms off the tomatoes and place them cut-side down on the left side of the pan. Add the bacon to the center of the pan, then place the chopped onion on the right side. Add the minced garlic.

3. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until the bottom side of the bacon starts to brown.

4. Flip the bacon, then place the pasta directly on top of the bacon. Add the slices mushrooms on the onions.

5. In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, stock, gochujang, mayo, ketchup, and soy sauce. Stir until smooth. (In the video, I added the seasonings separately directly into the pan for a more visually satisfying presentation, but for the best and most even flavor, it’s recommended to mix the sauce together beforehand.)

6. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Open the lid and remove the tomato peels. Use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes directly in the pan, then cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Stir everything well to combine, then cover again and continue cooking until the spaghetti is al dente.

8. If the liquid reduces too quickly before the pasta is fully cooked, add a little water as needed.

9. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the lid. Add the gouda cheese and stir everything together until the sauce becomes creamy and thickened.

10. Plate the pasta and optionally sprinkle dried parsley on top for garnish before serving.

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