Directions

1Clean and remove the tough ends of whatever mushrooms you are using, and thinly slice them. Heat up a large pan over high-heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. When the pan is REALLY hot, add 1/2 of the sliced mushrooms and scatter them without overlapping too much (depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in 3 batches instead of 2). THEN DO NOT MOVE THEM, or SALT THEM at this point. Let the mushrooms toast in the pan for a couple of minutes to get a very nice browning, then turn them only to get browning on as much surface area as possible. Crowding the pan/moving them too much/salting them too early, will all result in the mushrooms sweating too much (releasing water), and you won’t be able to get that deep toasty edges that completely transform the mushrooms in flavours. Trust me, you want that. Once the mushrooms are nicely and evenly browned (they should have reduced in size considerably as well), season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove from the pan. Repeat the steps (adding more oil to the pan) with the rest of the mushrooms. Then set aside.

2Bring a large pot of water to boil with a large, hefty pinch of salt. Cook the spaghetti according to instructions.

3Meanwhile, in the same pan, add a little bit more oil and start browning the pork. Add onion, garlic, salt and black pepper, and saute until the onion is translucent.

4Add tomato paste, gochujang paste and flour, and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the milk.

5Cook until the milk starts to simmer and thicken slightly. Stir in the mushrooms, cheddar cheese and parmigiano cheese until melted. Add the spaghetti to the pan, and enough pasta-cooking water to loosen the sauce slightly. Toss and cook for another minute, adding more water if needed.

6Serve with more grated cheese on top.