Go nuts with the pasta-bilities of this flavorful chili almond oil sauce and noodle recipe crafted by culinary creator Lisa Lin for the Octonuts consortium. 🐙

INGREDIENTS

CHILI OIL SAUCE

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes — see note 1)
1/4 cup Octonuts California Almond Oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce (try tamari sauce for gluten free)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

NOODLES AND VEGETABLES

10 ounces noodles (any dried noodles work, with or without gluten)
1 1/2 tablespoons Octonuts California Almond Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
pinch of salt
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

HOW TO

In a heat-proof bowl, add the minced garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and gochugaru.

Heat the almond oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, until the oil reaches about 350ºF. Carefully pour the heated oil into the bowl with the spices. Use caution when handling hot oil. (See note 2) Let the oil rest and infuse for at least 30 minutes.

After infusing the chili oil for 30 minutes, mix in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Set the chili oil sauce aside.

Fill a small pot or large saucepan with water and bring to boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the noodles. (See note 3)

In a skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of almond oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to soften. Next, add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt over the mushrooms and stir. Remove the skillet from heat.

Pour about 3/4 of the chili oil sauce over the noodles and mix together. Taste the noodles and add more sauce to your liking. Add the sautéed vegetables, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds to the noodles and toss everything together. Serve immediately.

NOTES

1) Gochugaru are Korean red pepper flakes that have a vibrant red color and a subtle smoky flavor. Gochugaru gives the chili oil a beautiful red hue. You can find gochugaru in Asian grocery stores or the Asian food section of grocery stores. If gochugaru is not readily available, you can replace it with chili flakes that are mildly spicy.

2) Another way to make the oil is to pour all the spices into the saucepan with the heated oil. Make sure to remove the saucepan from heat to ensure that the spices don’t burn.

3) If you are using rice noodles, toss the drained noodles with 1 teaspoon of oil to ensure that the noodles don’t stick together.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Recipe development, photos and video thanks to Lisa Lin of HealthyNibblesAndBits.com. Follow @hellolisalin on Instagram.