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5.0 from 105 votes

Garlic Noodles

Recipe video above. Quick & easy, this is a fusion Asian dish made famous by Thanh Long restaurant in San Francisco, via Kenji Lopez-Alt. Big garlic flavours and Asian sauces are combined with parmesan which gives it an extra savoury punch. Makes these noodles lip smackingly good! Add a fried egg and broccolini cooked with the noodles for a quick meal. Or serve as a side with any Asian meal!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 450 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Main Course

Ingredients

Noodles:
  • 140g/ 5oz dried ramen or noodle cakes (2 cakes) - Note 1 for other options
Sauce:
  • 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp (6 cloves) garlic, finely minced (yep, a lot!)
  • 2 tsp oyster sauce (sub vegetarian oyster sauce)
  • 2 tsp fish sauce (sub soy sauce - Note 2)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Maggi seasoning (sub soy sauce - Note 3)
  • 1/4 cup noodle cooking water , more if needed (Note 4)
  • 1/4 cup (tightly packed) finely grated parmesan (freshly grated, Note 5)
  • 1/4 cup green onion , thinly sliced (~1 stem)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Noodles - Cook the noodles in a large saucepan per packet directions. Scoop out ~1/2 cup cooking water. Strain noodles and set aside.
  2. Sauce - Melt butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until soft. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, Maggi seasoning and 1/4 cup cooking water. Stir to combine.
  3. Toss - Add cooked noodles, parmesan and green onion. Toss until the noodles are all coated, and the sauce is not pooled in the bottom of the saucepan. Add more cooking water 1 tbsp at the time, if needed to loosen the noodles.
  4. Serve immediately!
  5. Serving suggestion: fried egg and broccolini cooked with the noodles*, tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing you always have in your fridge. :)* Broccolini takes about 3 minutes, so put it into the water before/after/with the noodles depending on the noodle cooking time.

Notes

  • Recipe adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt from his cookbook The Wok.
  • Noodles - I like this best with ramen noodles / noodle cakes ie wrinkly, because the garlic bits and sauce clings better. Fresh egg noodles (ie from fridge section, yellow) are a close second - thick or thin (like hokkien, lo mein), use 220g/8oz - or dried egg noodles (amount per recipe).
  • Angel hair pasta or spaghetti can also be used (amount per recipe) but I prefer noodles as pasta doesn't have the same "chew" as noodles. If I only had pasta, I'd still make this! Rice noodles also works but texture is different.
  • Fish sauce will give the best savoury flavour here (doesn't taste fishy!) but can be substituted with soy sauce (light or all-purpose, not dark soy).
  • Maggi Seasoning is a savoury Asian sauce, I think of it like soy sauce + an Asian Worcestershire sauce. Find it in the Asian aisle of large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies) or Asian stores. Staple sauce in South East Asia! Sub with soy sauce (light or all-purpose, not dark soy).
  • Cooking water - This is what creates the sauce that coats the noodles. The starch in the water helps thicken the sauce.
  • Freshly grated parmesan required for smooth melt that disappears into the noodles. Store bought sandy or finely shredded grated won't melt as perfectly but if that's all you've got, do it!
  • Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge, loosen with a touch of water.
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 servings.

Nutrition Information

Calories 450cal (23%) Carbohydrates 45g (15%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 25g (38%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 0.5g Cholesterol 41mg (14%) Sodium 2535mg (106%) Potassium 243mg (7%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 607IU (12%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 203mg (20%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 450

% Daily Value*

Calories 450cal 23%
Carbohydrates 45g 15%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 0.5g 25%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 2535mg 106%
Potassium 243mg 5%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 607IU 12%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 203mg 20%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.