Spicy, nutty, rich. This Sichuan classic dish is actually quick and easy. I’ve included spiced minced pork if you want, but we find we like it better with just the noodles. Make sure you use a chili oil with sichuan peppers. It should have a slightly numbing effect. Make this as spicy or mild as you like.
Pork Topping
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb. ground pork
4 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tsp fresh ginger
1 cup frozen spinach (thawed) or 3 cups fresh. Chopped
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Sauce
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp chili crisp (or chili oil) – preferably Sichuan
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Noodles + Garnish
1 lb. thin spaghetti
6 green onions, sliced
⅓ cup dry roasted peanuts (crushed)
Instructions
Gather and prep all ingredients.
Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining and set noodles aside.
Pork:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and press down without moving it for a few minutes to get a nice browned, slightly crispy base.
Stir in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and spinach. Stir-fry quickly until fully combined and heated through. Remove from heat.
Noodles:
In a large mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, chili crisp, brown sugar, and about half of the reserved pasta water. Mix until smooth.
Toss noodles in the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed. The sauce should coat the noodles evenly without being thick or gloopy. The sauce will thicken up as it sits so you can get it to the consistency you like. We like ours rather thick.
Place peanuts in a sealed ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin until coarse. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
Divide dressed noodles evenly among serving bowls. Top each with a portion of the pork mixture (if desired), sliced green onions, and crushed peanuts. Serve immediately
