Garlicky Miso-Tahini Noodles
Got 15 minutes? Then you can make this delicious noodle recipe with pantry ingredients.
Serves2 to 3
Prep15 minutes
Cook10 minutes to 15 minutes
One thing about me is that I love noodles. In fact, I consider myself an unofficial Korean instant noodle expert; I always pick up something new during my trips to H-mart. But when I really want to slurp my feelings (without opening an instant noodle package from my pantry), I make these garlicky miso-tahini noodles. They check off everything I want in a bowl of saucy noodles: deliciously garlicky, full of umami, and highly slurpable.
Garlicky miso-tahini noodles are great as a quick meal, but they’re also the perfect side dish to hot pot or a Korean BBQ feast.
The Condiments That Make This Dish
The sauce starts with two condiments I always have in my fridge: tahini and white miso. They create an excellent balance of nutty, salty-sweet flavors. An added dash of toasted sesame oil makes this simple sauce extra special. While this tahini-miso mixture is already delicious on its own, the best part of these noodles is making the quick, garlicky chili crisp I call for.
Chili crisp is a spicy, textured condiment that makes everything taste better — especially noodles! There are many different brands (store-bought is always fine!), but you can make this easy, homemade version for the noodles. Even though this recipe only makes enough for the noodles, you can easily double the measurements to make a bigger batch.
To make it, arrange aromatic, flavorful ingredients like scallion, garlic cloves, and white sesame seeds in a heat-proof bowl. Because I didn’t want the flavors of this chili crisp to overwhelm the tahini-miso sauce, it doesn’t have too many red pepper flakes. But if you want to add more heat, you can add more red pepper flakes or other chili flakes.
Then, carefully pour hot oil directly over the raw garlic and scallions. You should hear the nice sizzle when the hot oil touches the ingredients — it’s always satisfying! The oil cooks them slightly and removes the raw flavors of garlic and scallions. I add in black vinegar for some sweet-acidic flavor and soy sauce to complete this quick chili crisp.
The Best Type of Noodles to Use
I love using squiggly, Taiwanese knife-cut noodles because the sauce sticks so well to all the nooks and cavities. If you like, you can make this recipe with ramen noodles or other Asian noodles.
Garlicky Miso Tahini Noodles Recipe
Got 15 minutes? Then you can make this delicious noodle recipe with pantry ingredients.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes to 15 minutes
Serves 2 to 3
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small cloves
garlic
- 1
medium scallion
- 1 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon
toasted white sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon
garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon
granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons
tahini
- 1 tablespoon
white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons
toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon
water
- 2 tablespoons
neutral oil, such as vegetable
- 1 teaspoon
Chinese black vinegar
- 1 teaspoon
soy sauce
- 6 ounces
dried wide Taiwanese or Chinese wheat noodles, such as Hsin Tung Yang Sliced Noodles
Chili crisp, for garnish
Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, make the garlic-scallion and tahini sauces.
Mince 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves. Thinly slice 1 medium scallion. Place the garlic and the scallion white and light green parts in a heatproof bowl that holds at least 1 cup; reserve the dark green parts of the scallion for garnish.
Add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl with the garlic and scallions.
Place 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon white miso paste, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a small saucepan or frying pan over high heat until just starting to smoke, about 1 minute. Carefully pour over the garlic mixture (it will sizzle). Stir to combine. Add 1 teaspoon black vinegar and 1 teaspoon soy sauce and stir to combine.
Add 6 ounces dried wheat noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until tender. Turn off the heat. Using chopsticks or tongs, transfer the noodles directly to the bowl with the tahini sauce.
Pour the garlic-scallion oil over the hot noodles. Toss until the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, toss in a little bit of noodle cooking water to loosen. Garnish with the reserved scallions, chili crisp, and more sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.