HAVE YOU EATEN? | RECIPE CURATED BY JOANN OUDEKERK

SPICY GARLIC BUTTER LINGUINE

Serves 4-6. | Prep time: 10 mins. Cook time: 25 mins.

This recipe is everything I love: noodles, spice, and a savory-umami bomb of flavor. It's such a great "base recipe,” meaning I’m guaranteed to have all the ingredients at any given moment. From there I add whatever else I have on hand such as tofu, ground pork, chicken thighs, broccoli, carrots, you name it! I’m a busy, busy gal, and this meal comes together so quickly. I work in a kitchen, and even on the busiest of days I can whip this up for my coworkers in no time. Food is my love language, so serving a bowl of these spicy, garlicky, buttery, linguiney noodles is like a giant hug from me to you!

You can get these ingredients at any grocery store, but United Noodles is my recommended Asian grocery store for those of you in the Twin Cities.

— JOANN OUDEKERK

Joann is an actor, teaching artist, model, and professional chef based in the Twin Cities. Audiences saw her onstage for Theater Mu’s 2018 production of May Lee-Yang’s The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide To Losing Your Virginity. As a chef, Joann has seven years of experience in fine dining restaurants. She’s now found in the kitchen of Open Arms of Minnesota, a non-profit organization dedicated to making medically tailored meals for those with life threatening illnesses.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb of pasta (spaghetti, rice noodles, egg noodles. Anything works. You can use rice too!)

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp chilli flakes

2½ Tbsp soy sauce

2½ Tbsp oyster sauce (or mushroom flavored dark soy sauce)

3 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

2 Tbsp finely sliced spring onions (scallions)

Garlic oil:

4 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or sliced

Optional:

2 cups of any cooked vegetables of your choice

1/2 lb of any cooked protein of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the garlic oil, place the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the saucepan, oil, and garlic heat up together. Once the garlic is sizzling, cook for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is just starting to turn golden at the edges. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and set aside for later (the garlic will continue cooking and turn evenly golden in the bowl).

Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. When boiling rapidly, add the pasta and follow directions on the package to cook until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, add the butter, garlic, and chilli flakes into a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook stirring until the butter is melted and the garlic is soft. Then add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Simmer for a minute and then take off the heat until the pasta is cooked. 

When the pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of pasta cooking liquid.

Place the butter sauce back on low-heat and add the pasta straight into the pan. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta and everything is looking super glossy and thick. Add the parmesan cheese. Add pasta cooking water here to loosen the sauce a bit.

Divide among serving plates. Top with a drizzle of garlic oil and some garlic crumbs. Sprinkle with spring onion and add extra cheese.