Dinner Tonight: 5 of Jack’s favorite noodle dishes

Chili crisp amps up the flavor, big time, in this streamlined Sichuan supper.

Noodles might just be the world’s most adept culinary chameleon

Jack Bishop Author, editor, and avid home cook

I eat pasta at least twice a week. Linguine, soba, lo mein, tagliatelle, rice vermicelli. I’ve never met a noodle I didn’t like. My “kid” brain still loves to twirl and slurp. My “foodie” brain appreciates the unique ability of noodles to convey bold flavors and take on so many different personas.

These Chili Crisp Noodles have been in heavy rotation in my kitchen this spring. Store-bought chili crisp is such a smart shortcut; this spicy, crunchy condiment is basically a party of flavors. Ground pork and bok choy make this a meal. Use fresh Chinese wheat noodles if you can, but the recipe suggests spaghetti as a substitute and I’ve had good luck with this approach too.

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Chili Crisp Noodles →

Enjoy Spain’s most famous pasta by making Fideos with Shrimp and Fennel. If your market doesn’t stock this short, thin pasta, just break thin spaghetti into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Either way, start by browning the noodles in a hot pan slicked with olive oil to bring out their nutty notes. And save the shrimp shells to make a quick stock. The toasted noodles cook right in the sauce, so they really absorb the flavors of the shrimp stock, fennel, garlic, and smoked paprika.

Looking for something on the lighter side that’s still satisfying? Chilled soba noodles tossed with a sesame dressing fit the bill for me. Thinly sliced snow peas, radishes, and scallions add texture and color, but the soba noodles become a meal when topped with seared salmon. I especially like the fish cooking method in this recipe. Start sesame-crusted fillets flesh side down in a cold pan, which minimizes the smoke and mess while putting a lovely sear on the fish.

Beef ho fun relies on fresh ho fun (sometimes labeled chow fun) noodles. No need to boil these delightfully chewy fresh rice noodles—just stir-fry them for a minute so that they pick up a little char, and then add the soy-based sauce. These wide noodles pair perfectly with strips of stir-fried flank steak, bean sprouts, and scallions. Take 30 minutes to marinate and velvet the sliced steak and you will be rewarded with especially flavorful, tender meat.

I can’t write about noodles and not take a quick trip to Italy. A ridiculously simple and cheesy cream sauce bathes tagliatelle in this winning dish with prosciutto and peas. Most of the ham is sliced and tossed with the drained pasta to preserve its supple texture. But the rest is minced and cooked right in the sauce to ensure that even bites without prosciutto are pleasantly porky. Most supermarkets stock dried tagliatelle (a long, moderately wide noodle), but pappardelle (even wider) or fettuccine (a tad thinner) are just as capable of grabbing onto the sauce. I follow this for-two version when it’s just Lauren and me.

Pasta is an inexpensive way to feed a family and so quick to prepare. These five recipes show why this 61-year-old kid still loves noodles, every which way.

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