Dan Dan Noodles
These umami-packed noodles are coated in a nutty sesame sauce and topped with spiced ground pork.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup sesame paste
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (such as cassia)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 pound ground pork (preferably coarsely ground)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 clove garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chinese five-spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 8 heads baby bok choy (about 3 inches long), halved lengthwise
- 1 pound fresh linguine or 12 ounces dried linguine
Direction
- Whisk together chicken stock and sesame paste in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium. Add sesame paste mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer sesame sauce to a large bowl; stir in peanuts. Wash and dry wok or skillet.
- Stir together pork, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup soy sauce in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add pork mixture; cook, stirring constantly to crumble into small pieces, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, stock, sugar, Chinese five-spice powder, cinnamon, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in scallions.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Cook bok choy until bright green and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bok choy to bowl of ice water to cool for 2 minutes; drain well, and set aside. Return pot of water to a boil over medium-high. Cook linguine according to package directions for al dente. Drain well.
- Add hot linguine to bowl with sesame sauce; toss until well coated. Divide linguine evenly among serving bowls. Top with evenly divided spiced pork and bok choy. Garnish with peanuts and scallions. Serve immediately.
