Fusion · main

Fish Sauce Caramel Pork Pasta

Fish Sauce Caramel Pork Pasta reads umami 7.4, funk & ferment 5.8 and salinity 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Fusion main, about 33 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.4 · Funk & Ferment 5.8 · Salinity 5.6 · Sourness 4.9 · Citrus 4.9 · Sweetness 4.7 · Marine & Briny 4.6 · Richness 4.3 · Allium 3.9 · Herbaceous 3.2 · Nutty 3.0 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Heat 1.9 · Floral 1.2 · Earthy 0.8 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (16)

• thin spaghetti — 340 g
• granulated sugar — 67 g
• fish sauce — 59 g
• water — 44 g
• pork — 454 g
• garlic — 12 g
• ginger — 15 g
• shallots — 80 g
• fresh red chile pepper — 100 g
• lime juice — 44 g
• unsalted butter — 27 g
• scallions — 400 g
• cilantro leaves — 30 g
• spanish style peanuts — 79 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g

Time & effort: about 33 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 104.4 kcal, 6.2 g protein, 6.7 g fat, 8.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture turns deep amber and smells faintly of caramel, 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove the caramel from the heat and carefully whisk in the fish sauce — it will bubble and sputter. Return to low heat and stir until smooth, about 1 minute; set aside.
4. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the ground pork and cook, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, until deeply browned and no longer pink, 6-8 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, shallots, and chile to the pork; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the shallots have softened, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the fish sauce caramel and the scallion whites; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the pork is glossy and the sauce has thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously over medium heat until the pasta is evenly coated and glossy, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce, 1-2 minutes.
8. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter and lime juice until the butter melts into the sauce and it turns silky. Season with the salt and black pepper to taste.
9. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the scallion greens, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Dale Taldes Slippery Lemongrass Pork Noodles — Thai
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Stir-Fry — Vietnamese
• Goi Ga (Chicken Salad) — Vietnamese
• Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce — Thai
• Bun Bo Nam Bo (Southern Beef Noodle Salad) — Vietnamese

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.