Szechuan Spicy Noodles with Carrot-Cucumber Relish
This Chinese-style pork ragout is tossed with noodles and topped with a sweet-sour relish that balances the heat.
How to Make It
Step 1
To prepare relish, place cucumber in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine cucumber, carrot, vinegar, sugar, and oil in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Step 2
To prepare noodles, cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
Step 3
Combine broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and chile paste in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions, ginger, and pork to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Pour broth mixture into pan; bring to a simmer, and cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Pour pork mixture over noodles; toss well. Serve with relish.
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yolocat's Review
I love this recipe, but I make it with thin rice noodles, double most everything, and add red bell pepper and what ever other crunchy veggies you like..sugar snaps, snow peas, green beans, asparagus etc. I served it at a party and it was a hit.
jelibeann's Review
I made this recipe with one adjustment...I couldn't find the correct noodles, so I just used dried lo mein rice noodles. We really enjoyed it...especially with the slaw. All of the flavors came together beautifully. I will definitely keep this on hand.
AndreaBW's Review
I cannot rave enough about this recipe. I tasted it first without the relish and thought maybe the sauce and pasta were too creamy and heavy. (I added some pasta water to thin it out.) But that relish! It adds the perfect note of brightness to harmonize the whole dish. I'd like to add bean sprouts next time to add some textural contrast, but this is totally going on my greatest-hits list. Leftovers were just as good.
Diplocook's Review
I live overseas, so had to make some substititions - but overall, this was a terrific recipe! Subbed fettucine for the udon, and reduced the chili paste by half. Next time I'll add snow peas and water chestnuts for a little crunch. Flavor was wonderful - and an easy dish to put together on a weeknight. Served with eggrolls or soup, this is an easy informal meal for guests, too. Agree with the other raters that the relish added a delicious dimension to the flavors.
nwilker's Review