Spicy Pumpkin Pork Noodles

This incredible Asian-style noodle dish features ground pork, pumpkin, and Korean chile paste.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 787 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 0.5 cup pumpkin puree
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 cup sliced green onions
• 0.3333 cup sliced green onions
• 6 ounces bucatini (dry)
• 1 tablespoon reserved oil from cooking pork
• 2 tablespoons diced hot chile peppers

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cook pork, while breaking up into small pieces, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and keep cooking and stirring until pork is crumble and is browned up, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Lower heat to medium and add garlic and green onions. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Mix in hoisin sauce and cook until sauce has glazed over all the pork pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer pork topping to a bowl.

Step 3

Pour out cooking grease but leave 1 tablespoon of grease in the skillet. Add pumpkin puree, gochujang, green onions, sesame oil, and chili peppers. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Fish out noodles and drop into the skillet with the pumpkin sauce. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.

Step 5

Squeeze lime juice on top of the noodles. Add about 2 tablespoons pasta water on top and mix noodles with the sauce until well combined. Keep adding pasta water, a little at a time, until sauce has reached your preferred consistency.

Step 6

Turn off heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Transfer noodles to a plate and top with ground pork.

Step 7

Gather all ingredients.

Step 8

Serve and enjoy!