Fermented black soybeans are a staple ingredient in Chinese and other Asian cuisines, and they have phenomenal depth of flavor and umami. While you can purchase loose fermented and salted beans, they are most convenient when purchased in sauce form, having been combined with other ingredients like soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Kikkoman and Lee Kum Kee brands both have fermented black bean sauces (labeled “Black Bean Garlic Sauce”) that are excellent and convenient additions to soups, stir-fries, noodles, and any place you are looking for a boost of intense earthy funk.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
6
1
1
¾
1
⅓
2
12
3
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and one 1½" piece ginger, peeled, very finely chopped, and cook, stirring often, until softened and very fragrant, 3–4 minutes. Add one 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushing lightly with your hands as you go, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often and breaking up any larger pieces of tomato as needed, until mixture is very thick and concentrated and beginning to stick to bottom of pot and oil is beading on the surface, 20–25 minutes.
Step 2
Pour in ¾ cup dry white wine or sake and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost completely evaporated and sauce is thick again, about 5 minutes. If there are still bigger pieces of tomato remaining, use a potato masher to crush them so sauce is as smooth as possible. Add 1 lb. ground beef chuck (20% fat), ⅓ cup black bean garlic sauce, and 2 tsp. light or dark brown sugar; season generously with freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring often and breaking up meat, until beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Bring to a gentle simmer; cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until flavors meld, 10–15 minutes. Transfer 2 cups sauce to a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3
Meanwhile, cook 12 oz. pappardelle, bucatini, or rigatoni in a large pot of boiling lightly salted water until very al dente (about 2 minutes shy of package directions). Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
Step 4
Add 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, pasta, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Cook, tossing often and adding more pasta cooking liquid and/or reserved sauce as needed, until sauce in pan coats pasta. Taste pasta and season with salt and more pepper if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among shallow bowls and scatter thinly sliced scallions on top.