Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Pancetta and Peas

If you love bold flavours and quick dinners, this creamy kimchi pasta is going to be RIGHT up your street.

It’s spicy, creamy, smoky and packed with umami, with sweet peas added for freshness and little pops of sweetness throughout. In other words: a very good dinner indeed.

Kimchi pasta has gone viral for a reason. Kimchi brings so much flavour all on its own – tangy, savoury, spicy and deeply moreish – that it transforms a simple creamy pasta into something much more exciting. Add smoky pancetta, a little garlic, some Parmesan and a splash of cream, and you’ve got a pasta dish that tastes restaurant-worthy but is still ready in just 20 minutes.

I’ve added peas here because they work SO well with the richness of the pancetta and cream. They lighten the dish a little, add some sweetness, and make the whole thing feel more balanced. This is absolutely not a traditional Italian pasta recipe, obviously, but it is a VERY delicious weeknight dinner.

If you’ve never tried kimchi in pasta before, let this be your sign.

What Is Kimchi?

Kimchi is a Korean fermented vegetable side dish, most commonly made with napa cabbage and chilli, along with ingredients such as garlic, ginger and spring onion.

It has a strong, punchy flavour that is tangy, spicy and slightly funky in the best possible way

That might not immediately sound like something you’d stir through pasta, but it works brilliantly in creamy sauces because the sharpness and heat of the kimchi cut through the richness of the cream.

So while this is not a traditional Korean recipe or a traditional Italian pasta dish, it is a very clever flavour combination. Creamy pasta can sometimes feel a bit heavy; kimchi stops that happening.

Why Kimchi Works So Well in Pasta

This is the bit that makes people curious, and rightly so.

Kimchi works in pasta for the same reason ingredients like lemon, capers or olives work in rich sauces: it brings contrast.

The cream makes the sauce silky and mellow. The pancetta adds smoky saltiness. The Parmesan adds depth. Then the kimchi comes in with acidity, spice and funk, which stops the whole thing from feeling flat or overly rich.

It gives the pasta that addictive quality where every forkful tastes creamy but still bright and punchy.

The peas are there for balance too. They soften the edges of the kimchi slightly and add sweetness, which rounds the whole thing out beautifully.

The Ingredients

• Pasta – use any pasta you like. This works just as well with spaghetti as it does with rigatoni, which is what I used.
• Pancetta – smoked pancetta is salty and full of umami flavour, which complements the kimchi so well. You can switch for smoked bacon, but make sure that you use a good quality one.
• Onion and garlic – of course, these add plenty of flavour and give it that Italian flavour that ensures it feels like a pasta dish. If you’re in a hurry, though, you can omit them.
• Kimchi – use your favourite kimchi. Top tip – kimchis from the refrigerated section of the supermarket are – on the whole – better quality than those from the jarred section. They are likely to have fewer additives and be more traditionally made.
• Frozen peas – for that sweet hit. You could also use sugar snap peas.
• Double cream – double cream (or heavy cream) is needed here for that delectable consistency. Single cream will be watery.
• Parmesan – or any other hard Italian cheese, to finish the dish off.

How to Make Creamy Kimchi Pasta

This is a very straightforward pasta recipe, but there are a few little details that help it turn out especially well.

Step 1 – Cook the pasta

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Before draining, reserve a cup of the cooking water. This is useful for loosening the sauce later.

Step 2 – Cook the pancetta

Add the diced pancetta to a large frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat.

Cook until the fat starts to render and the pancetta becomes golden and slightly crisp around the edges.

This helps build the flavour base of the whole dish.

Step 3 – Add the onion and garlic

Finely chop the onion and garlic and add them to the pan.

Cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Step 4 – Add the kimchi and peas

Stir in the kimchi and frozen peas, then add some of the reserved pasta water.

Let everything bubble away for a few minutes so the peas cook and the kimchi softens into the sauce.

Step 5 – Finish with cream, pasta and Parmesan

Pour in the double cream and bring everything to a gentle simmer.

Taste before seasoning — kimchi, pancetta and Parmesan are all salty, so you may not need much extra salt.

Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan, stir everything together, then leave it to sit for a minute or two before serving. This helps the sauce cling to the pasta beautifully.

Top Tips for the Best Kimchi Pasta

1. Use a kimchi you actually enjoy eating – Because kimchi is such a big flavour here, it’s worth using one you already know you like. If your kimchi is very spicy, start with a little less and add more to taste.
2. Don’t overdo the salt – Pancetta, kimchi and Parmesan all bring saltiness, so taste first before adding any extra.
3. Chop the kimchi if needed – Some kimchi comes in quite long strands or large pieces. A quick chop makes it much easier to eat in pasta.
4. Let the sauce sit briefly – Once the pasta is mixed in, letting it sit for a minute or two helps the sauce thicken and coat everything more evenly.
5. Use pasta water to adjust the consistency – If the sauce feels too thick, a splash of pasta water will loosen it without making it watery.