Chili Crisp Noodles (10-Min)
These noodles are what I make at 11pm when everyone's asleep and I want something spicy, salty, and entirely mine.
Ingredients
- 8 oz noodles 225g; Chinese egg noodles, ramen noodles, spaghetti, or whatever you have. This is an 11pm recipe. Standards are flexible.
- 3 tablespoons chilli crisp oil Lao Gan Ma is the classic brand — red jar, lady on the label, available everywhere
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or skip if you're too tired — the chilli crisp already has garlic
- Toppings: sliced green onions, sesame seeds, a fried egg, crushed peanuts
Method
Boil the Noodles
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. The starchy water helps the sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Make the Sauce
- In the same pot (one-pot situation, zero extra dishes), combine chilli crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, and garlic. Stir over low heat for 30 seconds until everything is combined and fragrant. Add the noodles back. Toss with tongs until every strand is coated. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it looks dry.
Top and Eat
- Transfer to a bowl. Top with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and — if you're committed to the full 11pm experience — a crispy fried egg with a runny yolk that breaks over the noodles and becomes part of the sauce. Eat immediately. Preferably standing up. Preferably in silence. This is your time.