Spicy Pork and Pumpkin Noodles

Gather all the necessary ingredients before commencing with the recipe.

Heat a generous amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pork, breaking it up into small pieces as you go, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, along with some smoked paprika, and continue cooking and stirring until the pork is crumbled and nicely browned, taking around 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to a medium level and add some minced garlic and chopped green onions. Cook for 30 seconds, allowing the aromas to meld together. Introduce some hoisin sauce into the mix and cook until it has thickened and glazed over all the pork pieces, taking about 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer the cooked pork topping to a bowl and discard any excess grease, leaving about one tablespoon in the skillet. Add some pumpkin puree, gochujang, chopped green onions, a drizzle of sesame oil, and some diced chili peppers. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the bucatini noodles until they are tender yet still retain some firmness, taking around 10 minutes. Remove the cooked noodles from the boiling water and add them to the skillet with the pumpkin sauce. Reserve about half a cup of pasta cooking water for later use.

Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the noodles and add about two tablespoons of pasta water on top. Mix the noodles with the sauce until well combined, adding a little more pasta water at a time if needed to achieve your desired consistency.

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

Serve and enjoy your delicious dish!