This umami kimchi mac and cheese is my way of making a classic comfort food a little more exciting. Sautéed kimchi gets toasted with gochujang and doenjang, then turned into a creamy three-cheese sauce that is rich, tangy, and full of savoury depth. Baked until golden and bubbly with a parmesan crust on top, it’s the kind of dish that tastes familiar and brand new at the same time. If you love kimchi, this is your sign to put it in your mac and cheese!

Understanding Your Components

1. Kimchi: Chopped kimchi gets sautéed in butter until slightly golden and fragrant, which mellows its sharpness and concentrates its tangy, spicy flavour. Cooking it first is important, because raw kimchi straight into the sauce can taste sour and watery. The more fermented your kimchi is, the more punch it will bring, so choose one you actually enjoy eating on its own.
2. Gochujang and Doenjang: These two fermented pastes are the umami backbone of the whole dish. Gochujang brings a sweet, spicy, slightly smoky heat, while doenjang (Korean soybean paste) adds a salty, earthy depth similar to miso. Toasting them in the pot for a minute or two before adding the flour deepens their flavour and takes away any raw edge. If you’re using a doenjang cube, it dissolves right into the sauce.
3. Three-Cheese Sauce: A simple roux of butter and flour is whisked with milk and cream to make a smooth béchamel base, then loaded with parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella. Parmesan adds sharp, salty depth, cheddar brings classic mac and cheese flavour, and mozzarella gives that stretchy, gooey pull. Freshly grated cheese melts far more smoothly than pre-shredded, which is coated in anti-caking agents.
4. Pasta: The pasta is only partially cooked before it goes into the sauce, since it finishes cooking in the oven. This stops it from turning mushy and lets it soak up the flavourful sauce as it bakes. Any short pasta with plenty of nooks, like macaroni, shells, or cavatappi, works well here.

Tips!

Undercook the Pasta: Cook the pasta well short of done, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. It will keep softening in the sauce and in the oven, so starting firm gives you the perfect texture at the end.

Get the Kimchi Golden: Don’t rush the sautéing step. You want the kimchi slightly caramelized and fragrant, with most of its moisture cooked off. This is where a lot of the flavour comes from.

Toast the Pastes: Stir the gochujang and doenjang in the pot for 1-2 minutes before adding the flour. This cooks out their rawness and builds a deeper, more rounded umami flavour.

Cook Out the Flour: Stir the flour into the kimchi and pastes for about 2 minutes. This removes the raw flour taste and sets you up for a smooth, lump-free sauce.

Pour the Milk Slowly: Add the milk and cream gradually while whisking constantly. Adding it all at once is the quickest way to end up with a lumpy sauce.

Taste Before You Bake: Kimchi, gochujang, doenjang, and parmesan are all salty. Season carefully, and if the sauce tastes too salty, a splash more cream will mellow it out.

Keep the Sauce Slightly Loose: The pasta will absorb a lot of sauce in the oven, so the mixture should look a little saucier than you think it needs to be before baking.

Rest Before Serving: Let the mac and cheese sit for 5-10 minutes after baking so the sauce thickens slightly and clings to the pasta instead of running across the plate.

Storage and Reheating Guide

• Fresh Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
• Reheating in the Oven: Reheat in a 160°C/325°F oven, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes with a splash of milk or cream stirred through to loosen the sauce
• Reheating on the Stovetop: Warm gently in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of milk and stirring often until creamy again
• Reheating in the Microwave: Heat individual portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between each and adding a little milk to bring back the creaminess
• Freezing: Freeze baked and cooled portions in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The sauce may be slightly less silky after freezing, so add a splash of cream when reheating.

Make Ahead Tips:

• Sauce Ahead: Make the kimchi cheese sauce up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently with a splash of milk before folding through the pasta.
• Assemble Ahead: Combine the sauce and pasta in the baking dish, top with parmesan, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
• Grate the Cheese Early: Grate all your cheeses up to 2 days ahead and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator
• Chop the Kimchi Ahead: Chop your kimchi in advance so the sauce comes together quickly on the day
• Freezer Portions: Bake in individual ovenproof dishes, cool, and freeze for an easy single-serve dinner whenever the craving hits

Ingredients

Pasta
250g short pasta (macaroni, shells or cavatappi)

Kimchi Cheese Sauce
Salt, to taste
3 tbsp butter
1 cup kimchi, chopped
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 tbsp doenjang paste, or 1 doenjang cube
4 tbsp plain flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
1/2 cup cheddar, freshly grated
1/2 cup mozzarella, freshly grated
Salt, to taste

Topping
1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated

Method – How to make Kimchi Mac and Cheese

1. Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water until it’s about 80% cooked, a couple of minutes short of the package time. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
3. Mac and Cheese sauce: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped kimchi and sauté until slightly golden and fragrant. Add the gochujang and doenjang and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to toast them and deepen their flavour.
4. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly pour in the milk and cream while whisking constantly until smooth and creamy. Add the parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella and stir until fully melted. Taste and season. If it’s too salty, stir in a splash more cream.
5. Combine: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until every piece is coated.
6. Bake: Transfer to a baking dish and top with the remaining parmesan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and golden brown.
7. Rest: Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken and cling to the pasta.