We saw a picture of a Korean black bean pasta dish on the internet and it looked too good not to try! So, off we went to our local Asian market to get a jar of Korean black bean paste and this was the delicious result.
This delicious pasta dish has a delicious, savory flavor that is both unique and familiar. We made a few changes to the original recipe, changing the amounts of zucchini and potato as well as adding in asparagus for the vegetables in the dish and including baked tofu. We also used whole wheat spaghetti because we had it on hand. Finally, we added some soy sauce and garlic salt and combined everything before plating rather than serving the sauce over the noodles.
Feel free to use the original recipe below, or make your own changes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 18 oz firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 lb noodles (we used whole wheat spaghetti)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large zucchini, cut into half inch cubes
- 1 large potato, cut into half inch cubes
- 1 lb asparagus, cut into inch long slices
- 6 tbsp Korean black bean paste
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp rice wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp garlic salt
- Corn starch water (5 tbsp corn starch mixed with 4 tbsp water)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°
Spread cubed tofu onto parchment paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° for half an hour, until golden brown
Preheat a large pan or wok to medium. Add the oil and allow to heat until the surface of the oil shimmers. Place the black bean paste into the pan and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes, avoiding burning. Add the brown sugar and stir for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove the paste and set aside, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Add the onion, zucchini, potato, and asparagus to the oil and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring often. Add the black bean paste and stir into vegetables for another 1-2 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to boil and cook your noodles, following the package directions.
Returning to the vegetables, stir in the soy sauce, rice wine, vegetable broth, water, and garlic salt. Allow the pot to come to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the corn starch water to the sauce and stir to combine, which will thicken the sauce. Once everything is mixed together, add the tofu and stir well. Add the cooked noodles and stir into the sauce.
Serve this dish on plates or in bowls and enjoy!
FoodAdventuring 