Korean-Style Udon Noodles Recipe

When craving Asian flavors, we often turn to rice as the starchy vehicle of choice for stir-fried ingredients and savory, spicy sauces. Noodles make a nice change every once in a while, though, particularly thick and chewy udon noodles. Although udon noodles are Japanese, recipe developer Christina Musgrave likes to cook them with Korean seasonings, including gochujang, the red chili paste that Musgrave says "adds the spice in this recipe and helps develop a depth of flavor."

The best thing about these Korean-style udon noodles, as Musgrave tells us, is that they're "quick, easy, and great as a side or main dish," especially since most of the ingredients are pantry staples. Feel free to make this vegetarian dish more filling by adding a cooked protein such as chicken, beef, or tofu, and Musgrave also notes that "you can serve this with any Korean main dish," from homemade Korean fried chicken to our easy bulgogi recipe. 

The main ingredient you'll need for this dish is, of course, the udon noodles. These will be cooked in a sauce made from garlic, gochujang, soy sauce, and two types of oil: olive and sesame. You should also have some green onions and sesame seeds on hand as a garnish.

If you are starting with dried udon noodles, you'll first need to cook them at a brisk simmer for about 5-7 minutes, although it's advisable to check the package directions to be sure of the time. You may then need to rinse them before they're ready to add to the sauce. Fresh udon noodles won't require so much cooking, but you may need to heat them in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a medium or large pan over medium-low, then fry the garlic until it is nice and fragrant. Musgrave suggests a 2-minute cooking time and cautions, "Keep a careful eye on the garlic so it doesn't burn." Stir in the gochujang, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and voila! Your Korean-style sauce is done.

Take your cooked, drained noodles and stir them into the sauce. As we previously mentioned, if the noodles are fresh, they may need a few more minutes of cooking once they've been added to the sauce. Before you eat the saucy noodles, scatter the green onions and sesame seeds over the top.

If you don't eat all of the noodles on the first day, stick them in a sealed container and put them in the refrigerator, where they'll stay good for up to 4 days.