Szechuan Miso Noodles with Crispy Shallots
Noodles (and some spiralized broccoli stems, if you like!) are dressed up with a spicy miso sauce and a sprinkling of incredibly addictive fried shallots! The sauce is the perfect balance of rich, umami goodness, tangy sweetness, and heat from a Szechuan peppercorn and crushed red pepper flake infused oil. In other words, this dish is a total dinnertime dream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
- Category: dinner, lunch
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 C vegetable oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- a pinch or two of salt
- 1 heaping tsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- a generous 1/4 C light miso
- 2 TBS rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 4 broccoli stems, trimmed and spiralized (optional)
- 6 oz thin spaghetti
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Watch them closely because they can burn quickly. As the shallots start to brown, remove them with a fork or a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate (be sure to get all the small bits, too) and season with a couple pinches of salt.
- Turn the heat down to low, add the Szechuan peppercorns and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes. Place a strainer over a stainless steel or heat-proof bowl, pour the chili oil through the strainer into the bowl, and set aside. Discard the Szechuan peppercorns and chili flakes. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta one minute less than the package instructs. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, vinegar, sugar, and 3 TBS of the reserved chili oil.
- Add 1 TBS of the reserved chili oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high. Add the spiralized broccoli stems if using and cook for 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer the the cooked pasta from the boiling water to the skillet. Lower the heat to low, add the miso mixture, and stir/toss to coat. Remove from the heat.
- Serve the noodles garnished with the reserved crispy shallots and extra crushed red pepper flakes. Drizzle on some of the reserved chili oil for extra heat if you like!
Notes
*Using tongs to transfer the noodles from the boiling water to the skillet allows some of the starchy cooking water to come with them, which makes the sauce a little saucier.
Keywords: spicy noodles, miso noodles, broccoli stems, broccoli stalks