My husband and I don’t eat pasta dishes very frequently – but, we love pasta. Maybe that’s why I don’t make it much; because when I do, we eat way too much of it. Well, this past week, I decided to add a “pasta” dish to our weekly menu. Except, I decided to use rice noodles instead of gluten free or regular noodles.
Here’s the thing. Rice noodles are pretty easy to cook, but only if you know what you are doing. Rice noodles are fragile which makes cooking them less like cooking and more like softening. Soften rice noodles by placing boiling 2-3 cups of water on the stovetop. In a deep mixing bowl, add the rice noodles (the mixing bowl is empty at this point). Pour the boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged. After a few minutes, give the noodles a stir to loosen them up. When they feel soft, do the super scientific experiment of taste testing them to see if they are soft enough. Once the noodles are soft, drain them in a colander and toss them with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking to each other.
Now that you know how to cook the ever delicate rice noodle – get to cooking & try this dish out!
Ingredients
- 1/2 box rice noodles
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. grated ginger
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp. oil, divided (I used sesame)
- 1/2 lb. peeled shrimp
- 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons
- 1/4 cup carrots, grated
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
- Cilantro
Directions
- Cook rice noodles according to my directions above. Toss with oil and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, and fresh ginger. Stir & set aside.
- Whisk eggs and 1 tsp. of sesame oil in a second small bowl then set aside.
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or skillet. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Once shrimp are cooked, remove them from the heat and place them on a plate.
- Add 1 Tbsp. oil to the wok, then add the zucchini and carrots. Stir fry the vegetables until soft, but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Add the green onion and stir fry for another minute.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the wok and add the two eggs. Allow the eggs to cook. Once cooked, mix the vegetables and eggs together.
- Add the shrimp back into the wok. Then, toss the rice noodles into the wok and pour the soy sauce mixture over everything. Allow to cook for another minute or so.
- Remove from the heat and dish into 2 bowls.
