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Vietnamese Stir-Fried Pasta with Beef (Nui Xào Bò)

Vietnamese Stir-Fried Pasta with Beef (Nui Xào Bò)

By Hisham Ali HassanMarch 26, 2025

  • Makes
    4-6 servings
  • Cook Time
    50 minutes
  • Rating

Stir-frying pasta and beef is unusual enough. Now add soy and oyster sauces and you’ve got East-meets-West comfort food. Called nui xào bò in Vietnamese, this dish starts by simmering pasta in a Dutch oven, then using the same pot for stir-frying for one-pot ease. We love the way twisty pasta shapes such as gemelli or fusilli capture the sauce and combine with the beef; cavatappi or casarecce are other good options. Rice pasta is terrific here, as it has a texture and flavor that calls to mind the rice noodles commonly used in Vietnamese cooking. Serve with Sriracha for pops of sweet heat.

Tip

Don’t forget to reserve some of pasta water before draining the noodles. You will need the starchy seasoned water to help the soy mixture coat and moisten the noodles.

Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons soy sauce

  • 3

    tablespoons oyster sauce

  • 1

    teaspoon white sugar

  • 1

    pound boneless beef short ribs, trimmed

  • 12

    ounces gemelli or fusilli

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    tablespoon neutral oil

  • 1

    bunch scallions, whites thinly sliced, greens cut into 1-inch lengths, reserved separately

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • ¼

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 3

    tablespoons tomato paste

Step 1

In a small bowl, stir the soy and oyster sauces and sugar. Slice the beef ¼ inch thick against the grain, then cut the slices into ¼-inch strips. In a medium bowl, stir together the beef, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce mixture and ¾ teaspoon black pepper.

Step 2

In a large Dutch oven, boil 4 quarts water. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking water, then drain; wipe out the pot.

Step 3

In the pot over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the beef in an even layer and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the scallion whites, garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste and pasta. Add the scallion greens; cook, stirring, until beginning to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining sauce and the reserved pasta water; cook, stirring, until the pasta absorbs the liquid, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.