Spicy Sesame Garlic Noodles
⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes • 🍳 Cook Time: 15 minutes
These spicy sesame garlic noodles use regular pasta and everyday ingredients to make something that feels indulgent, cozy, and super satisfying. It's spicy, nutty, garlicky, and slurpable — exactly what you want when a takeout craving hits but you're staying in your pj's.
Perfectly tangled fettuccine noodles coated in a glossy, spicy garlic-sesame sauce with chili crisp and green onions.
You know when your mouth is watering before you even finish cooking? This dish does that. The noodles get coated in a glossy sauce of toasted sesame oil, soy, garlic, chili flakes, and optional chili crisp (you know the one in the jar with the bits of crunchy umami magic?). Fettuccine or linguine makes a perfect stand-in for traditional noodles — it holds onto sauce beautifully. And if you’ve got a few toppings like scallions, sesame seeds, or even a jammy egg lying around, you’ve got yourself a restaurant-worthy meal in under 30.
What I really love about this dish is how endlessly flexible it is. No rice vinegar? Use lime juice. Out of chili crisp? Just add extra crushed red pepper and a splash of oil. Want to bulk it up? Add sautéed mushrooms, wilted spinach, or toss in some leftover rotisserie chicken. Once you get the base sauce down, you can riff on this any way you like — and trust me, you’ll want to make it on repeat.
Whether you're meal prepping lunches, making something fast between Zoom calls, or just cooking for one with a craving for heat, these spicy sesame garlic noodles are always the move. Slurpy, spicy, and super low-lift — this one’s a new staple.
Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 2 • 🔥 Calories/Serving: 480
6 oz fettuccine or linguine
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 tbsp chili crisp (optional, but highly recommended)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp neutral oil (like canola or avocado oil)
Salt, to taste
Steps
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining.
Step 2
While the pasta cooks, heat the neutral oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Step 3
Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and chili crisp. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Add the drained noodles to a large bowl. Pour the hot sauce over the noodles and toss well to coat.
Step 5
Add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles.
Step 6
Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve warm, with extra chili crisp if desired.
Make it your own!
🥚 Add a jammy egg
Soft-boil an egg for 6–7 minutes and plop it on top for extra richness.🍄 Boost with veggies
Toss in sautéed mushrooms, baby spinach, or steamed broccoli for a plant-forward twist.🐔 Make it meaty
Add shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced grilled steak, or crispy tofu for extra protein.🧄 Turn up the heat
Add more crushed red pepper or a dab of sambal oelek to bring the fire.🥜 Go nutty
Swirl in 1 tbsp of peanut butter for a spicy peanut noodle version — trust me on this one.
Try it with…
Did you make this recipe?
Did you add a unique twist? Did your family enjoy it? Share your thoughts and any customizations you made in the comments below.
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