Heukimja Cream Bacon Rigatoni (Black Sesame Cream Pasta)
Heukimja cream bacon rigatoni coats wide tube pasta in a sauce built from finely ground roasted black sesame blended into heavy cream and milk. The black sesame delivers a deep, toasted nuttiness that melds with the cream's fat into something resembling a nut butter sauce, with a distinctive grey-toned color that sets it apart visually from standard cream pastas. Crisp-fried bacon scattered throughout adds salty, smoky bites that punctuate the otherwise uniform creaminess, and the rigatoni's large hollow shape traps sauce both inside and outside each piece. A final dusting of black sesame powder reinforces the nutty aroma and signals the Korean ingredient at the center of this Italian-Korean crossover.
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Instructions
- 1
Cook rigatoni in salted boiling water until al dente, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
- 2
Heat olive oil and sauté bacon with diced onion over medium heat until golden.
- 3
Add minced garlic, then pour in cream and milk and reduce to low heat.
- 4
Whisk in black sesame paste and Parmesan to form a smooth sauce.
- 5
Add cooked pasta, adjust consistency with pasta water, and finish with black pepper.
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