Dinner + A Movie: Nobody Wants This + Vegan/Gluten-Free Kimchi Pasta
When I had a semi-popular vegan blog in the early 2010’s, I started a segment called “Dinner & a Movie” where I’d pair a movie, TV show, or other piece of visual entertainment with a recipe that felt on-theme. It only had a few installments before I closed that blog in favor of my own website, but it was still one of my favorites—combining two things that speak to the core of my being: movies + delicious vegan food.
This week, as I regroup from some big life realizations I’m not quite ready to share, I found myself in a very enjoyable binge of Kristen Bell’s new Netflix show Nobody Wants This. I knew going in I was going to enjoy it—I mean, it’s Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, and written by Erin Foster (whose humor has always resonated with me)—but this show was exactly the soothing, sassy rom-com my soul needed this week.
I, like most people, enjoy binging on food while binging on shows so when I found myself craving something salty around episode 4, I pondered what I should pick up at the grocery store. This was around the same time that Adam Brody’s character made Kristen Bell a delicious-looking pasta dish on their first date.
Nobody Wants This, Netflix
For some inexplicable reason, seeing this pasta dish made me crave kimchi. At the time, I thought it was some sort of ramen or Italian-Asian fusion dish, perhaps because the previous scene talks about getting tacos so I at least wanted the alternative to be spicy. However, in rewatching the scene to take the above shot, I saw (from another scene angle) that the counters are covered with tomatoes and basil so this is very likely a straightforward Italian dish.
That said, I believe there are no accidents so I do not apologize for googling “vegan kimchi pasta dish” based on my erroneous assumption, mostly because what resulted from this so-called mistake might be my new go-to quick-and-easy meal.
Besides *puts on health coach hat*, kimchi is high in vitamin C and antioxidants as well as good for gut health due to its probiotic nature. Good for gut health also means good for mental health and I’ll take all the help there I can get. Plus, IMHO, kimchi is great in just about everything.
The Disclaimer:
If you’d like to do this recipe “right,” feel free to head over to Plant-Based Matters which is the blog my Google search brought up that I used as inspiration for my meal (see photo 1).
However, if you’re low on ingredients and not afraid to take risks with little to no measuring, here’s the recipe I threw together and still thoroughly enjoyed in the form of two full bowls (see photo 2).
Ingredients:
a handful of your favorite gluten-free spaghetti (I used chickpea but might try rice next time for starchier water)
a turn of the pan of oil (I used olive)
3-5 heaping spoonfuls of kimchi (I used the hot variety)
oat milk* (approximately a 2:1 ratio of vegan milk to kimchi)
pasta water
several splashes of hot sauce (to taste)
optional: 1 crumbled seaweed snack**
Directions:
Salt & boil water for pasta & place your desired amount of spaghetti in the pan.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium & add kimchi. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add oat milk or preferred non-dairy milk to the kimchi pan & allow to simmer.
Add hot sauce to taste.
Stir in a bit of pasta water (slowly) & let simmer to your desired consistency.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain the remaining water & toss with sauce in the pan.
Serve with crumbled nori/seaweed snacks for added fusion flavor.
Enjoy while falling in love with a Hot Rabbi, fictional or otherwise.
*Oat milk produced a runnier sauce than I would have liked; next time I’ll try cashew as recommended in the original post.
**I love seaweed snacks, but I preferred my second bowl without the topping so do what feels right for your cravings.
