Most food is table food. It requires mats, cutlery, glasses - for you to sit up straight or at the very least tell your children to. Then there are these Chili Garlic Noodles. They are solidly couch food. They belong at the end of that long day, a day where all you want is some comforting carbs on the couch. They're the kind of flavorful noodle you pile into a bowl, walk over to the couch, put your feet up and dig into as you do a little binge watching. You know that kind of day and I know you know that kind of food.
The Quest for Craveworthy Noodles
I have been looking for these noodles forever. Or so it seems. I tried so many too. So many that required so much dish washing that I was lucky if I made it to the couch. Then there were many that just had no flavour and I found myself thinking I would have been better off with a bottle of hot sauce and boiled noodles.
These aren't any of these - these Chili Garlic Noodles have texture from the chopped garlic and ginger, heat from chili flakes, umami from soy sauce and then a bright herbiness from the scallions and cilantro. I've made them thrice recently and I would say that's a problem, but it really isn't. If I am feeling virtuous I fry a little shrimp in the Chili Garlic base, but let's be honest - it's 2020 and I am not feeling virtuous very often.
What Noodles Should I use?
The 'correct' answer is probably a wide rice noodle. However, I will freely admit that I think these are so so good with 'regular' pasta. I love them with tagliatelle, pappardalle etc. Would it still be good with regular spaghetti? I can't see why not although the slimmer shape will probably impact the slurpiness of it! Yes yes I know that isn't a word.
Step by Step Video for Making Chili Garlic Noodles
Looking for more quick and easy Pasta recipes? Check these out!
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- 400 g the widest slurpiest noodles - a wide rice noodle or a tagliatelle etc.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced (8 cloves of garlic)
- 2 tbsp ginger, minced (2 inch piece of ginger)
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup scallions (green parts, roughly 2)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp chili flakes (or to taste)
- additional soy sauce or salt for adjusting seasoning
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Boil the pasta in salted water as per package instructions and make sure to reserve half a cup of pasta water
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Warm the oil in a pan and when it starts to shimmer add your garlic, ginger, ginger, chili flakes, scallions, and cilantro.
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Let it sizzle on medium heat for just a minute and then add 2 tbsp of soy sauce
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Mix the pasta well, adding additional pasta water as needed to create a sauce and adjust seasoning with additional soy, salt, and pepper and dig in.
This recipe is a base - tweak it as you will by adding your favourite veggies, a splash of sesame oil, rice vinegar or even sesame seeds and chopped peanuts as a garnish!
