Chinese Chili and Scallion Noodles
These spicy Chinese scallion noodles have quickly become one of our back-pocket dinner ideas—the kind of recipe you throw together, top with a fried egg, and still look forward to every time.
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time40 minutes
- Active time plus cooling20 minutes active
- 3
Every cook needs a few back-pocket recipes that can be thrown together quickly from pantry staples. Think spaghetti carbonara, the Italian pasta dish of bacon and eggs. Or Fuchsia Dunlop’s game-changing “midnight noodles,” a fresh spin on a Chinese staple. The simple sauce comes together in the time it takes the noodles to cook. Our version swaps out some of the hard-to-find Chinese ingredients and creates a simple chili oil that can be adjusted to taste. We cooked scallion whites in the hot oil to soften their bite and used the milder green parts to add brightness at the end. While we preferred udon noodles, chewy Chinese wheat noodles such as lo mein were fine substitutes. Even spaghetti worked in a pinch. These noodles also are great topped with a fried egg.
Don’t walk away while heating the oil. The sesame seeds can burn in an instant, and the red pepper flakes will blacken and become bitter. The seeds should be just turning golden, and the pepper should be pleasantly fragrant.
Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, then drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil.
Step 2
In a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat the grapeseed oil, sesame seeds and pepper flakes until the pepper flakes are fragrant and the sesame seeds begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in the scallion whites, then transfer the oil mixture to the bowl with the soy sauce mixture.
Step 3
Add the cooked noodles to the sauce and toss. Add the scallion greens, reserving some for garnish, and toss. Divide among 4 individual bowls and top each with reserved scallion greens and a fried egg (if using).
