Gochujang Beef Ragu Rigatoni

Name: Gochujang Beef Ragu Rigatoni
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: rigatoni 180 g; ground beef 220 g; onion 100 g; garlic 4 clove; gochujang 1.5 tbsp; tomato puree 250 ml; red wine 60 ml; olive oil 1.5 tbsp; parmesan cheese 20 g

Quick answer

Total time: 50 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Gochujang, Korean red chili paste, is fried briefly first so its sweet, fermented heat sits underneath the tomato in this beef ragu.

The flavor base comes from ground beef left untouched until it browns and sticks, then red wine scraped across the pan to dissolve those browned bits. Wide rigatoni tubes fill with the thick sauce and carry bits of meat inside each piece.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

garlic4 clove

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Finely dice 100g onion and 4 garlic cloves, then bring a large pot of salted water to a strong boil.

Cook 180g rigatoni for 1 minute less than the package time and reserve 60ml of the starchy pasta water.
2

Heat a wide pan over high heat, add 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, and spread 220g ground beef into an even layer.

Leave it undisturbed for about 2 minutes so a brown crust forms instead of steaming the meat.
3

When the underside is browned, turn and break up the beef, then cook for 3 more minutes until no red patches remain.

Keep the browned bits on the pan bottom because they will become the savory base of the ragu.
4

Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes until they soften and smell sweet.

Stir in 1.5 tablespoons gochujang and fry for 1 minute to reduce raw paste flavor and deepen the aroma.
5

Pour in 60ml red wine, raise the heat to high, and scrape the pan bottom while it reduces by half.

Add 250ml tomato puree, lower to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes until the ragu thickens visibly.
6

Add the rigatoni and 60ml pasta water to the ragu, then toss over medium heat for 2 minutes until the sauce coats the tubes inside and out. Check the salt level from the gochujang, adjust if needed, and finish with 20g grated Parmesan.