Kimchi Assassina Spaghetti (Korean x Apulian)

Method

1. In a 1.5 L pot, stir together the water, tomato paste, half the passata, the kimchi juice and the soy sauce and bring to the boil over high heat, about 5 min. Turn down to low heat and keep it hot. The kimchi juice and soy are salty, so no extra salt is needed.

   Add in this stepWater (for the broth) 700 mlTomato paste 1½ tbspTomato passata 100 gKimchi juice (the liquid from the jar) 60 mlSoy sauce 1½ tsp

   high heat→low heat

2. Heat a cast-iron or carbon-steel pan (28 cm) over medium-high heat. Squeeze the kimchi to remove excess liquid, cut it into 1 cm strips and add it with the oil and sliced garlic. Fry for 3 min until the edges of the kimchi turn brown and lightly caramelised and the sour smell turns toasty.

   Add in this stepNeutral vegetable oil 3 tbspGarlic cloves, thinly sliced 2Well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi, chopped 120 g

   medium-high heat

3. Lower the heat to medium heat, add the gochugaru and sugar and stir for just 10 seconds to colour the oil (any longer and the chilli burns). Pour in the rest of the passata and simmer for 2 min, stirring, until thick. The sugar softens the sourness of the kimchi.

   Add in this stepGochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) 1 tspSugar 1 tspTomato passata 100 g

   medium heat

4. Lay the dry spaghetti, unbroken, in a single layer on the sauce. Raise to high heat and sear without touching for 2 min, until the bottom sizzles and starts to catch, then turn with tongs.

   Add in this stepDried spaghetti 200 g

   high heat

5. Add the hot kimchi-tomato broth one ladle at a time, adding the next only when the last has almost evaporated. Turn the pasta every two ladles so it chars evenly along with the kimchi. Continue over medium-high heat for about 13 min in total, until a strand is still slightly firm in the centre.

   medium-high heat

6. Stop adding broth and let the pan go almost dry. Leave it untouched over high heat for 2 min, flip and give it the same time again, until the pasta and kimchi are crisp and charred like the crust of a stone-pot rice. Turn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil, scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds and serve straight away.

   Add in this stepToasted sesame oil 1 tspSpring onions, thinly sliced 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

   high heat