These noodles are UN-REAL. Seriously. Al dente noodles are coated in an umami-loaded sauce with smoky dried chilies, lots of garlic and a touch of Thai basil. But the secret? Anchovies; which you won't be able to tell are in there, but they add so much depth. Serve this on its own or with a side of pan-fried fish or chicken. It's super quick, and you'll have it on the table in less than 30 mins from start to finish!
A Thai dish...but the way it should be
It may surprise you that Thai people actually use pasta quite often, as we love Thai-Western flavour mashups. Some of my favourites are Pad Macaroni and Tom Yum Spaghetti.
But there is one I don't love. It is called "spaghetti pad prik hang" or "dry chilies spaghetti" where we stir fry spaghetti noodles with dried chilies, garlic, Thai basil, and salted fish or bacon bits. It SOUNDS good...except I find it dry, and the ingredients are "mixed" but somehow nothing really comes together into a cohesive dish.
So I set out to create a version that I think this dish SHOULD be; using the same set of ingredients, because I knew these ingredients have potential to be awesome together given the right execution. The results were beyond my expectations!
Few tweaks; incredible result.
I made a few important changes to the original dish that make all the difference:
1. The right dried chilies
The original dish uses dried chilies left in big chunks or whole. The problem with this is that the chili flavour remains trapped; and unless you're actually eating the pieces of dried chilies, you can't really taste much of them. And eating a piece of dried chili straight up isn't a pleasant texture, and can be too spicy for some.
Solution? Ground chilies. I took whole dried chilies and removed the seeds so that I can add a lot of chili flavour without making it too spicy. Now the chili flavour coats ALL the noodles and becomes the star, as it should.
2. Anchovies
Typically this dish is starts out with stir frying either bacon bits or pieces of salted fish in oil until crispy. Those pieces of salted protein really carry the dish, and any bites without them are just not as good. I wanted to find a way to infuse the umami saltiness into the entire dish so every bite is equally satisfying.
Solution? Minced anchovies. They "melt" into the sauce, so you won't even know that they're there, but they make all the difference.
3. Butter is better
A major issue I had with this dish was that it's always dry. So dry. The noodles are stir fried in seasoning but there is no sauce to speak of.
Solution? Butter. Adding a little butter helps add lusciousness do a noodle dish that isn't saucy. Also, you can't be shy with the oil in this recipe; they need to be glistening!
Ingredients You'll Need
Here are all the ingredients you'll need; super simple! Read on for tips about choosing the best noodles for the job, and check out the FAQs below for more about dried chilies and how to make this recipe vegan.
Step-By-Step:
Here's a bird's eye view of the process, but be sure to check out the full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success! In these pictures I didn't show the noodles being cooked, but you'll want to get that going right before you start cooking the sauce, and your sauce will be done just before the noodles are done.
Choosing the best noodles for the job
In Thailand, spaghetti is typically used, but I prefer linguine as the flatter shape has more surface area to catch the sauce...and they just eat better for some reason. You can also try spaghettini, or another kind of long, thin pasta.
BUT!! Aside from pasta, I think chewy ramen noodles would be fantastic for this recipe. Kind of like dan-dan noodles style. Or try the fat egg noodles I used in my popular Garlic Noodles recipe.
PRO TIP: Choosing pasta that has a rough, matt surface will allow more of the sauce to cling onto the noodles. These are called "bronze cut pasta" as they are extruded through a bronze die. Smooth, shiny pasta noodles are slippery and don't hold on to sauce as well.
Bronze cut pasta are a little more expensive, but it is especially important for a dish with only a little sauce like this.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe you can use any kind of dried chilies, provided that the heat is right for you. I used the generic "dried chilies" available at Chinese grocery stores, which has "medium" spice level.
If the chilies you're using are too hot, remove some or all of the seeds as shown in the video. You can always add more heat afterwards if it's not spicy enough.
Yes...BUT. Pre-ground dried chillies, like ones available in Asian stores, can be really hot; and to use 2 whole teaspoons might be too spicy. I don't recommend using less chillies to reduce the heat because you will not get as much chilli flavour.
Store-bought "red pepper flakes" available in Western stores are milder, but they are in larger flakes, so the chilli flavour will not come out as much. But if you have them, you can give them a quick blitz in the coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to get them more fine.
Instead of anchovies, try adding a tablespoon of miso paste which should add a similar umami and saltiness. Then in place of the 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, you can substitute 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce plus ½ teaspoon sugar. You can also substitute "vegetarian oyster sauce," more info on that in my vegan claypot glass noodles recipe.
Friendly reminder that whenever you're modifying a recipe, it's extra important to taste and adjust!
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Before you start, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success! I always include little tips and tricks not mentioned in the blog post. The video is in the recipe card below, but you can also watch it on YouTube.
Umami Chili Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz linguine
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 4 fillets anchovies, minced (see note 1)
- 3 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 0.2 oz dried chilies, see note 2
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 15 leaves Thai basil, optional, see note 3
Notes
FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL
All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!
Subscribe to my YouTube ChannelInstructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add enough salt so that the water tastes like a well-seasoned soup.
- While you wait for the water to boil, remove the seeds and pith from some or all of the dried chilies depending on how much heat you want (or maybe don’t remove them at all if you want it spicy!) If your spice tolerance isn’t high, remove all the seeds and pith, as and you can always add more later if you want it spicier.0.2 oz dried chilies
- Grind the chilies in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle until mostly fine; a few bigger flakes remaining is no problem. Measure out 2 teaspoons of the ground chilies, and reserve the rest just in case you want to add more later.
- Once the water is boiling, add the linguine and stir to prevent the noodles from sticking until the water comes back to a full boil again. Let it cook for 1 minute LESS than the time stated on the package.5.3 oz linguine
- Meanwhile, heat a wok on the stove over medium heat and add the oil, garlic, and anchovies. Gently saute the garlic for 3-4 minutes until it starts to turn golden. There should be plenty of oil for the garlic to fry in, so don't be afraid to add a little extra.2 Tbsp neutral oil, 3 Tbsp chopped garlic, 4 fillets anchovies, minced (see note 1)
- Once the garlic is golden, and the anchovies start to pop, add the 2 teaspoons of ground chilies, and cook for another minute until it's aromatic and smells slightly smoky. Immediately turn off the heat to prevent the chilies from burning, then add the oyster sauce and the butter and stir until the butter is melted. If the noodles are not done at this point, just keep the heat off while you wait for them.2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- Once the noodles are done, bring the pot close to the wok and use tongs to grab the noodles from the pot and into the wok without shaking off excess water; the excess water will help finish cooking the noodles and bind the sauce. Turn the heat back to medium and toss the noodles until they are well coated and all excess water has been absorbed. If you have any extra olive oil from the anchovies, you can add it at this point.
- Turn off the heat, and throw in the Thai basil and mix briefly just until wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, and you can add extra chili flakes for more heat if desired.15 leaves Thai basil
- Garnish with a few extra fresh Thai basil leaves and serve on its own or as a side; it works great with pan fried fish or chicken!
Anandita De
Can I use sardines instead of anchovies?
Pailin Chongchitnant
Not quite the same...sardines are not nearly as salty as anchovies. If anything I would substitute maybe 2 tsp of fish sauce to start and adjust from there!
Tamar
I really loved this dish. I doubled the recipe and followed directions (except used less oil to sauté the garlic and anchovies). I roasted some chopped leeks and hake to go with it. I think I added too much salt to the pasta water cause it was a little too salty (I didn't add any other salt). Really yum comfort food !!!
Q
I added ground pork by cooking it first, setting it aside and then putting it back in after the chilli powder. I also used medium thickness noodles used for Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Turn out really well and filling.
Veena
Hi there, could you use soba noodles here or vermicelli? thanks
Pailin Chongchitnant
I think soba noodles would be good, rice vermicelli...probably not as good.
Dawn
Love it!
DaveS
Every time I see garlic and chilies in a recipe, I default to Sriracha Chili/Garlic sauce. It generally works out OK and I have an easier time adjusting the heat as I used to these sauces. Question is......what am I missing? Would there be a big difference in flavor starting with garlic and dried chilies?
Puja
Sriracha has a very different flavor profile (the second ingredient is sugar, if I'm remembering correctly - fridge is presently too far to check). You'd still make something tasty, esp if you like Sriracha, but you get a toasted chili & fresh garlic flavor that isn't overpowered by the acidity & sweetness of a hot sauce blend. I recommend trying this version for at least the experience!
Daniel F
Made this last night. Was mostly a big success. I ground my own dried chillies but I didn't remove many seeds. That was my mistake. The spice level was through the roof. But I still finished the whole plate. Definitely making again (with chilli seeds removed)
Donna D.
Love this recipe! All the ingredients are well balanced and meld perfectly together. At my first attempt I was hesitant to use four anchovies according to the recipe instead I used just two. The second time I used four plus I drizzled some of the olive oil it was packed in! Wow, what a difference. Don't be afraid of the anchovies!
Ian M Ruppenthal
Totally delicious!! Such a unique dish. I used a combo of arbol and pasilla chiles - removing the seeds from all, and that seemed like a good balance of chile flavor and spicy.
Rudy
Hi, I would like to purchase your cooking book, but would like to know if you have recommendations for the name brand sauces you use. Thank you
Pailin Chongchitnant
The recommendations are not in the book, though if you check out my ingredient videos, you will find some recommendations there: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/category/thai-ingredients-101/
SARAH BONO
I love seeing the original and your altered version of the recipe -- they're both so similar to many southern Italian / Sicilian basic home cooking pasta dishes that I grew up with. I've always loved Thai food and the exciting ways you use familiar flavors and ingredient(we even have our own fish sauce "Colatura di alici") with slightly different techniques! This dish really exemplified just how similar our cuisines really are, and I'm so excited that this dish worked perfectly in my italian kitchen. So excited to see how more traditional thai recipes work now that I know we're more similar than I ever would have guessed!
Lisa
What brand of oyster sauce do you recommend? Can't wait to give this a try!
Pailin Chongchitnant
Lee Kum Kee Premium, so the one with pic of a boy and a woman on a boat. Enjoy!
Denny
Sounds good! Just not a fan of anchovies. I am going to substitute fish sauce for the anchovies.
Richard Westwell
Hi, Could you use rice vermicelli as my wife dislikes all pasta.
Pailin Chongchitnant
I would use egg noodles (like ramen noodles) instead, they'd be a better sub!