Asian Garlic Noodles: 20-Minute Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

These garlic noodles are so incredibly quick, easy, and tasty, combining a few Western and Asian ingredients––that you probably already have on hand––to make one very flavorful bowl of deliciousness.

Serve them either as a side dish, or as a quick and easy vegetarian main, with some bok choy or sauteed broccoli on the side!

What Are Garlic Noodles?

I’ll admit, I’m pretty new to Garlic Noodles. My understanding is that it’s a Western/Asian fusion dish, combining ingredients like butter, brown sugar, and Parmesan cheese with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. The star ingredient, of course, is garlic, which is common in both cuisines.

The result is a tasty, salty burst of umami and richness. The garlic infuses the sauce, and the little caramelized slices are so tasty, you might find yourself digging for them amongst the noodles!

The oyster sauce and soy sauce combined with the butter and parmesan cheese create an intense umami quality in the sauce––it’s nutty, salty, savory, and delicious. If you’d like to make this recipe vegetarian, you can substitute vegetarian oyster sauce (which is made with mushrooms).

We’re no strangers to combining Asian ingredients with Western ones (see our Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with Shrimp and Shiitakes and our Shiitake Mushroom Tortellini with Soy Cream Sauce), so when I became aware of this tasty combination, I knew I had to experiment with a version of my own.

What Kind of Noodles To Use

I used thin spaghetti for my garlic noodles, which can be found anywhere! You could also use Chinese egg noodles (fresh or dried) or regular white wheat noodles. I think the tastiest option, though, would be to make my Homemade Egg Noodle recipe for this dish.

If you haven’t tried one of my homemade noodle recipes yet (also check out our handmade noodles and spinach noodles), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy the process is. If you have a stand mixer and a pasta roller, the process is a total cinch.

Okay, without further ado, on to the recipe!

Garlic Noodles Recipe Instructions

Gather your ingredients. These are pantry and fridge staples that you probably already have on hand!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles/pasta according to package instructions. If using fresh noodles, you may simply need to blanch them. (Reserve some of the pasta cooking water, as you may need it in the sauce later.)

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet or shallow pot over medium heat and add the garlic.

Cook for 5 minutes, until lightly caramelized.

Stir in the turmeric (if using—I think it adds nice color to the spaghetti), oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil.

Stir for 1 minute and add the scallions.

After 30 seconds, to let the scallions wilt, toss in the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese.

Toss the noodles all together. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of the noodle cooking water to loosen them up.

Serve!

Everyone approved of this dish, because the minute I put it down on the table, it was gone within five minutes! Enjoy!