A bold and spicy pasta dish featuring savory pork and creamy pumpkin sauce, topped with fresh cilantro for a delightful flavor experience.
Ingredients
1 pound pork
2 tablespoons oil
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cloves garlic
4 stalks green onions
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon gochujang
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 pieces chili peppers
8 ounces bucatini pasta
1 piece lime
1/4 cup cilantro
Method
Gather all the ingredients required for the dish.
In a large skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and break it apart while it cooks for about 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, cooking until the pork is well-browned and crumbled, around 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium, then add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Sauté for around 30 seconds until fragrant. Incorporate hoisin sauce, ensuring it coats the pork thoroughly, and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes before transferring the mixture to a bowl.
Drain excess fat from the skillet, leaving about a tablespoon. Add pumpkin puree, gochujang, the rest of the green onions, sesame oil, and chopped chili peppers. Stir and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini in the boiling water until it's al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Save 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then add the noodles to the skillet with the pumpkin sauce.
Squeeze fresh lime juice over the noodles. Mix in a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water, combining the noodles with the sauce. Add more pasta water gradually until you achieve the desired sauce consistency.
Once well mixed, turn off the heat and fold in chopped cilantro. Plate the noodles and top with the seasoned pork.
