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Quarantine life has me craving a bowlful of noodles, Asian style. Not soup noodles floating in broth per se, but a tangle of savory strands tucked into the requisite pail-like carton, saucy and maybe spicy and all kinds of slurpy.

I suppose I could make some calls and get the 411 on noodle carryout options, but I’ve got a refrigerator drawer loaded with produce that’s calling me instead. In lieu of Chinese egg noodles, I have Italian spaghetti, an excellent stand-in, and I have Asian condiments and aromatics for days.

The recipe that follows should be used as a template based on what you like and what you have on hand. There are lots of options and Plan Bs for several of the ingredients listed below.

By no means is this dish authentically Chinese or Japanese, but a tribute to both cuisines. The work here is in the prep; do all of your chopping before heating the wok so that the stir-fry part is lightning quick and the vegetables stay crisp and vibrant.

If you’ve ever used the pasta water to thicken Italian sauces, you can apply the same technique to Asian noodle sauces. Do yourself a favor and keep the cooking water for the second half of the dish.

I’ve listed several possible condiments to mix with soy sauce. Hoisin and oyster sauce are similar in texture, but hoisin is sweeter. Black bean paste can be salty, so taste for salt as well as heat. Yellow bean paste is neither sweet nor spicy but is plenty savory and similar in texture as all the others. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

And yes, you can add meat to this. Cook separately from the vegetables and add at the end. (Perfect for leftover roast chicken or pork shoulder.)

Slurpy Pan-Asian Noodles

Makes 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles, Japanese udon noodles or Italian spaghetti
  • 3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry or flat lager beer (Alcohol-free option: chicken or vegetable broth)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of the following: hoisin sauce, oyster sauce,
  • black bean paste, yellow bean paste
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1/3 cup minced shallot (2 to 3 bulbs) or red onion
  • 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (a 2 by 1-inch hunk)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 fresh chile pepper of choice, seeded and minced, to taste
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • A total of approximately 5 cups of quick-cooking vegetables from any of the following: 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks; 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips; 2 to 3 bunches baby bok choy, rinsed well and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 to 2 cups shredded green cabbage; 1 cup broccoli florets, sliced
  • Optional garnishes: ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, chives or a few sprinkles of gomasio (seasoned sesame seeds)

Directions:

Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes (if cooking spaghetti, follow the package guidelines). Drain and rinse under cold running water. (Spaghetti does not need to be rinsed.) Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

While the noodles cook, place the rice wine, soy sauce, seasoning sauce of choice and sesame oil in a small bowl, whisking with a fork until blended. This is your noodle sauce.

Heat a wok or 12-inch-wide skillet over medium-high heat until the pan is very hot. Swirl in the oil, tilting until the surface is coated. Add the shallots and stir-fry, tossing and stirring, about 1 minute. Add the ginger, chile pepper and garlic, stir-frying for an additional minute. Add the vegetables, starting with the carrots and pepper if using (which take longer than bok choy or cabbage), and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing to coat with aromatics. Continue with the bok choy and/or cabbage, stir-frying for about 3 minutes; the greens will wilt and shrink considerably. If mixture seems a little dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of noodle water as needed. Add the sauce and bring to a boil, about 90 seconds.

Using tongs, add the noodles, turning until coated with the sauce. Add a few tablespoons of noodle water to keep noodles moist and slurpy. Keep the noodles moving until they are heated through.

Serve hot in bowls and add any garnishes.


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