These spicy garlic butter noodles are so tasty! By combining flavors from China and Italy, we get these sweet, savory and spicy fusion noodles. You can use whatever pasta you’d like but I love these Malfadine noodles because the sauce clings to them so nicely!
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I absolutely adore these spicy garlic butter noodles.
They're one of my favorite fusion dishes because it combines so many delicious flavors from China and Italy.
The flavor is rich yet light and it's impossible to stop eating them!
You might have seen this recipe was originally appear on a sponsored job on instagram before making its way onto the blog!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Malfadine Noodles - Any noodle will do! I just love these Malfadine Noodles because they're so good and the sauce sticks to them like glue!
Salted Butter - If you don't have salted butter, you can use unsalted but add a pinch of salt for each tablespoon used.
Olive Oil - You could use another type of neutral oil like avocado or vegetable. You could also use sesame oil if you're into that!
Fresh Garlic Cloves - Fresh is best! You could use garlic powder if you had to but the real deal stuff will make all the difference. And i'm not talking about the pre-minced jarred variety.
Red Pepper Flakes - We need these for heat! And if you're into fancy red pepper flakes (yes, it's a thing!) then you MUST get these ones from Flat Iron Pepper Co. I cannot tell you how many people I've converted!
Soy sauce - If you don't have soy sauce, you could use coconut aminos or even tamari.
Crunchy Chili Oil - If you don't already have crunchy chili oil in your cabinet, get some! It's so good on dumplings, noodles, soups and more!! It's one of my favorite condiments in my house!
Fresh Basil - Please use fresh basil if at all possible! If you don't have regular basil, thai basil would be super delicious, too!
Parmigiano Cheese - Same goes for Parmigiano. And yes, there is a difference between parmesan and parmigiano! The real stuff is my favorite and what I recommend the most!
Balsamic Glaze - If you don't have balsamic glaze, you could make your own by reducing regular balsamic vinegar in a pot with a little something for sweetness.
Flaky Salt - Maldon all the way! It's how I finish most of my dishes. Once you start, you won't be able to stop. But also, if you don't have Maldon Salt, just season with kosher salt at the end of the recipe!
How to make Spicy Garlic Butter Noodles
Making these spicy garlic noodles is beyond simple!
To begin, prepare pasta al dente according to the directions on the package.
I'm using Malfadine Pasta because it's one of my favorite noodle shapes. I love the texutre and how the sauce sticks to each noodle!
While your pasta is cooking, it's time to start the sauce.
Melt salty butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Next, add lots of finely sliced garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and some red pepper flakes and cook down for a minute or two or until the garlic slightly softens - being careful not to let the garlic brown.
If you're not using fancy red pepper flakes by Flat Iron Pepper Co, then you need to upgrade. They legit make all the difference!!
Then add soy sauce and crunchy chili oil and stir down for another minute or two.
Some crunchy chili oils are spicier than others so please keep that in mind when making this dish!
Now it's time for the pasta.
Add the cooked, strained pasta, a little bit of pasta water, and the remaining salty butter.
Finish cooking for another 1-2 minutes over low heat or until the sauce is glossy and coating each noodle.
Before serving toss once more with a handful of torn fresh basil, parmigiano cheese, and balsamic glaze.
Taste one more time and adjust seasonings then finish with a sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt. Enjoy!
Want to add meat or protein?
If you're looking to bulk up these spicy garlic butter noodles with some protein, that's totally doable!
You could brown some seasoned chicken, remove it from the pan, then continue the recipe as-is. Be sure to add it back in at the end though!
For steak, I would recommend the same process. Brown in the pan, then use the butter and soy sauce mixture to deglaze it.
You could also use shrimp, tofu, or even thinly sliced pork cutlets.
Even a can of fancy tuna would be great. Honestly, the world is your oyster so get creative!
What to pair with them?
Wondering what to serve with these spicy garlic butter noodles? Here are some ideas!
You could start with some of my hibachi chicken, these grilled lemon pepper wings, or even some bang bang broccoli.
For more tasty fusion recipes, try this huevos con chorizo, this tampa style cuban sandwich or this chicken shawarma plate!
Save this recipe for later
Want to save this spicy garlic pasta for another time? I got you!
I created these pretty images below so that you can save them to your designated pinterest boards.
And if you don't already, feel free to follow me on pinterest, facebook or instagram for more indulgent tasty inspiration!
For those of you that don't do social media, scroll to the bottom of this post and you can print or save the recipe card!
Video
Recipe
Recipe
Spicy Garlic Butter Noodles
Ingredients
- ½ lb malfadine noodles
- 5 tablespoon salted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon crunchy chili oil
- ½ cup pasta water
- ¼ cup basil torn
- ⅓ cup parmigiano cheese
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Prepare pasta al dente according to the directions on the package.
- Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan.
- Next, add 10 finely sliced garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook down for a minute or two or until the garlic slightly softens - being careful not to let the garlic brown.
- Then add 2 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoon crunchy chili oil and stir; cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked strained pasta, ½ cup pasta water, and the remaining tablespoon of salted butter. Finish cooking for another 1-2 minutes over low heat or until the sauce is glossy and thoroughly coats each noodle.
- Before serving toss once more with a handful of torn fresh basil, parmigiano cheese, balsamic glaze. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and enjoy.
Marcy
I love all of your recipes but please please please add a "jump to recipe" link into your header. I love that you take the time to write it all out but sometimes we dont have time to read it and simply want the recipe.
grilledcheesesocial
You're so right! I just started to!! I need to go back into old posts and do it, too!
Christina M
Loved this! We didn’t have Parmesan, but it was great without it.
Hollie
This, along with the Bang Bang Broccoli, was outstanding! Huge hit with everyone at the table.
Hannah
Delicious! Perfect amount of spice, definitely a winner recipe! Everyone loved it 🙂
Kathleen
Delish ! Super easy to make and very tasty !