Garlic Noodles Recipe
Cooking the garlic low and slow in butter instead of a hot pan keeps it from turning bitter, and the combination of oyster sauce, fish sauce, and parmesan builds the savory depth that makes San Francisco-style garlic noodles taste far richer than the short ingredient list suggests.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 3 stalks green onions, sliced
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 807
- Protein
- 24g
- Carbs
- 136g
- Fat
- 21g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directs, since it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- 2Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the noodles and set aside.
- 3Mince the garlic finely with a knife or garlic press; a food processor can turn it into paste, which burns faster in the pan.
- 4Melt the butter in a large skillet or wok over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and pale golden, not browned.
- 5Stir in the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 1 minute to combine.
- 6Add the drained noodles to the skillet along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss continuously with tongs for 2-3 minutes, until every strand is coated and glossy, adding more pasta water a tablespoon at a time if the sauce looks dry or clumpy.
- 7Remove from heat and toss in the parmesan and white pepper until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- 8Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately.
Tips & variations
- Lo mein noodles or fresh Chinese egg noodles are closer to the traditional San Francisco version and hold the sauce slightly better than dried spaghetti.
- For a shrimp or crab version, add cooked shrimp or lump crab meat when tossing the noodles at the end.
- Vegan swap: use a neutral oil plus a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in place of the butter and parmesan, and a mushroom-based oyster sauce.
- Double the garlic if the dish is the meal's centerpiece rather than a side.
Storage & reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce; microwaving tends to make the noodles gummy and dry out the garlic.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Salting the pasta water well is the only chance to season the noodles themselves, since the sauce is added after draining.
- Keep a small bowl of the reserved pasta water next to the stove; it's easier to add sauce-loosening liquid a little at a time than to fix noodles that have gone dry.
FAQ
Why do my garlic noodles taste bitter?
Bitterness almost always comes from garlic cooked over heat that's too high or for too long; cook it over medium-low, stirring constantly, and pull it off the moment it turns pale gold.
Can I use jarred minced garlic?
Fresh garlic is worth it here since garlic is the dominant flavor; jarred garlic has a flatter, slightly sour taste that becomes obvious in a sauce this simple.
What noodles work best for garlic noodles?
Fresh lo mein or Chinese egg noodles are the traditional choice and grip the sauce well, but dried spaghetti is the common substitute and works fine if cooked just under al dente.
Can garlic noodles be made ahead?
They're best fresh since the sauce tightens as it cools, but they can be tossed and refrigerated, then loosened with a splash of water and reheated gently in a skillet.
