Asian garlic noodles are apparently a thing on the West Coast. Kind of like aglio olio, except with some added ingredients like fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. They are a great change from the typical Italian version and are still loaded with garlic!
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Last year, on the extended family vacation in Newport Beach, on the night that my youngest brother was in charge of choosing the restaurant, we ended up at AnQi Bistro.
It bills itself as Asian fusion and within its very chic, night clubbish interior at South Coast Plaza, we proceeded to drown ourselves in many small plates.
All were good. Most very good. And dessert was a skillet chocolate chip cookie with ice cream they made at the table. Oh my.
But one of the most popular dishes was had by my brother and his husband when they ordered something similar to this garlic noodle recipe.
Without a doubt, it was the simplest dish on the menu and given that neither of them enjoy seafood, I think they were quite happy with this choice.
Well, being who I am, which is sometimes a food sleuth, I decided to try to figure out the secret of this Easy Garlic Noodles Recipe.
Though these are different from Aglio Olio, the classic Italian Garlic Noodles, they are still as addicting.
Table of Contents
Why I Love Asian Garlic Noodles
This Asian dish is an easy recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make, making this a perfect weeknight dinner.
It truly is a garlic lovers delight!
You can use simple pantry ingredients or stock up at an Asian grocery store like I do.
The rich and buttery garlic flavor, parmesan cheese, and Asian sauces add a savory flavor profile that come together to make a dish that’s truly addicting.
Asian Garlic Noodles can be a side dish but are also a complete meal on their own.
FAQ’s
Where did Asian Garlic Noodles originate?
According to my research, this dish became famous at San Francisco’s Thanh Long Restaurant where Helene An, an immigrant from Vietnam, worked in her mother-in-law’s Italian deli.
She’s referred to as the mother of Asian fusion cuisine and in this recipe, she combined Asian and Western ingredients to make an incredible garlic noodle recipe.
Quickly transforming the Italian menu she found at the restaurant, she started introducing her native Vietnamese dishes and they quickly became one of the first Asian-fusion restaurants.
Traditionally, Chef An serves these noodles with her roasted Dungeness crab.
No one knows the true recipe of this dish as she cooks it in a secret kitchen at the restaurant.
Needless to say, this noodle dish became an instant hit.
If it’s your first time trying this recipe, the story behind it is quite fascinating and I encourage you to read it.
What kind of noodles should l use in this Asian Garlic Noodles Recipe?
As far as what type of noodles to use…
I prefer thin spaghetti noodles cooked al dente, so they don’t become soggy.
Fresh lo mein noodles can also be used but add a different texture to the dish.
Other options are Chinese-style egg noodles, pasta noodles, ramen noodles, udon, brown rice noodles, like linguine, fettuccine, or angel hair pasta.
Even spaghetti works!
Why Are Asian Garlic Noodles So Good?
They combine Western and Asian ingredients in a delicious salty, buttery sauce.
The star ingredients are garlic and parmesan cheese which create the best garlic noodles ever.
You know I adore Vietnamese food. In fact, it’s my favorite ethnic food.
Manservant can have his Mexican, but I’ll take Vietnamese any day.
With all the French influence in Vietnamese cooking, it is not surprising that the sauce for this Asian garlic noodles recipe is made with butter.
Yes, that is one big difference from the Italian version that uses olive oil.
Instead of salt, seasoning is added by way of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
And because no one actually has this very secret recipe, I’ve also seen this garlic pasta made with Maggi seasoning.
Maggi seasoning is similar to soy sauce but is apparently much richer and made with vegetable protein, giving it a lot of umami flavor.
My guess is you’ve tasted it in many Asian foods, but never realized that it’s there!
Some say it tastes like Worcestershire and soy blended together.
Others say it’s similar to the flavor of the herb lovage which is said to taste like celery, parsley, and fennel rolled into one.
If you have it and want to use it give it a try. You can easily buy it at an Asian market or Asian grocery stores.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions for this Garlic Noodle Recipe
Butter: Use unsalted butter because salt is added in the form of soy sauce and fish sauce. Parmesan cheese is also salty. Butter adds richness to this dish and makes it super tasty!
Fresh garlic cloves: Minced garlic (the best part of this recipe)
Light soy sauce: Dark soy sauce is sweeter and thicker but light soy sauce is saltier. Substitute with Maggi seasoning sauce or 1 t soy and 1 t Worcestershire
Fish sauce: Adds umami flavor.
Spaghetti: Use almost any type of noodle or pasta, spaghetti noodles, or fresh lo-mein.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated cheese adds salty and umami flavors to this dish.
Oyster sauce: Adds salty and sweet
Scallions
How To Make Asian Garlic Noodles
Melt butter in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add lots of smashed or minced garlic cloves to the melted butter.
Stir and cook until fragrant for about 1-2 minutes, but don’t brown.
Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and fish sauce and stir; then remove from heat.
If you want to try the Maggi sauce, use it instead of the soy sauce.
Or use 1 t soy sauce and 1 t Worcestershire.
In a large pot of water with boiling water, cook the noodles according to package directions. Make sure they’re no more than al dente.
Add the cooked pasta to the garlic sauce along with the water that clings to the pasta.
No need to drain.
Increase the heat and add the cheese, tossing vigorously until the sauce is emulsified.
If it is too watery, keep reducing it. If it is too buttery, add some more pasta water.
Garnish with red chili flakes, chili sauce, chopped green onions/scallions, or sesame seeds.
What To Serve with this Easy Garlic Noodles Recipe
This is a tasty complete meal on its own or awesome with added grilled or stir-fried shrimp.
Stir-fried vegetables, green beans, broccoli, or any veggie side dish like bok choy, is a great option.
Vietnamese grilled chicken is amazing as is stir-fried filet mignon. Even black pepper beef.
Other proteins like salmon, tofu, or fried eggs would be great.
The original version was served with crab meat and that sounds incredible to me.
Alas, we just had the garlic noodles plain-and nothing wrong with that!
Whether you choose to make this a side dish or a main course, I can guarantee that this Asian garlic noodle recipe will be asked for again and again.
This Asian Garlic Noodles Recipe is a quick, simple and flavor-filled dish that your whole family will love.
A simple recipe made for garlic lovers; that’s you, isn’t it?
More Easy Asian Recipes
Epic Spicy Chili Garlic Noodles Recipe
I’d love to hear if you make this recipe! Please share a review or rate the recipe,
and be sure to tag me on social!
Recipe Card
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Asian Garlic Noodles
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 - 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian-American
Description
Asian garlic noodles are certainly a riff on Aglio Olio. But this simple dish becomes a classic, too! If you love garlic, this is for you!
Ingredients
4 T butter
20 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 T oyster sauce
2 t light soy sauce or Maggi seasoning or 1 t soy and 1 t Worcestershire
2 t fish sauce
1 lb dry spaghetti or fresh lo-mein
Large 1/4 c fresh grated Parmesan
4 minced scallions
Instructions
Melt the butter in a wok or large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the oyster, soy and fish sauce and stir to combine. Add in half of the scallions if you choose. Remove from heat.
Bring 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a 12″ skillet over high heat. Add the pasta and stir a few times to make sure it’s not sticking together and cook about 2 minutes short of al dente.
Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the garlic sauce along with whatever water clings to it. (DO NOT throw the pasta water away!) Increase the heat to high, add the cheese to the pot or wok and stir and toss vigouously until the sauce is creamy and emulisfied, about 30 seconds. If it looks too watery, let it keep reducing. If it looks too buttery, add a splash of cooking water to emulsify.
Serve immediately garnished with scallions.
Notes
Thanks J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt for the inspiration!
Healthy World Cuisine
Saturday 15th of April 2023
Love this quick and easy recipe. How in the heck did we miss this important holiday of GARLIC month? Heck they had to add a 3 rd shift just to keep up with how much we use on an everyday basis.
Abbe
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
We ate this in California and it is great, but I couldn't believe how popular it is. Just shows simplicity is a good thing~
Healthy World Cuisine
Sunday 7th of August 2022
When garlic is in the title- we are in. Love this quick and easy recipe. Yes Maggi sauce. Do not see it a lot in the US but always can in the Asian markets.
mjskitchen
Friday 5th of August 2022
I've been seeing a lot of these Asian Garlic noodle dishes lately. Have never tried them, but would love it. Your recipe sure looks easy enough to make and the noodles look fabulous. And of course, since I'm a huge garlic lover, this is my kind of meal. Bobby just came home from Costco with a Costco size bag of garlic, so I'm there.
John / Kitchen Riffs
Friday 5th of August 2022
>Raises hand< I'm John, and I'm a garlic lover! Noodle lover, too. :-) This looks terrific -- really neat dish. Must try this, soon. Because, well, garlic, you know. And noodles. :-) Thanks!