When a sauce has this many heavy-hitting ingredients—fiery gochujang, earthy tahini, umami-rich soy sauce—you don’t need to add much else. Any noodles you have on hand will work (even spaghetti) and if bitter broccoli rabe isn’t your thing, swap in your favorite hearty leafy green. For a balanced, spicy kick, Issa suggests using O’Food or Mother-in-Law’s brand gochujang.
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What you’ll need
Gochujang
$13 At Amazon
Carbon Steel Wok
$60 At Amazon
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
8–10
oz. fresh or dried wheat noodles (such as lo mein, udon, or ramen)
Kosher salt
¼
cup gochujang
3
Tbsp. soy sauce
2
Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar
2
Tbsp. tahini
2
tsp. toasted sesame oil
2
Tbsp. vegetable oil
1
bunch broccoli rabe, coarsely chopped
4
garlic cloves, finely chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper
Handful of torn basil leaves, plus sprigs for serving
Toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges (for serving)
Preparation
Step 1
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool running water.
Step 2
Whisk gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine; set sauce aside.
Step 3
Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add broccoli rabe and garlic; season with salt and lots of pepper. Cook, tossing often, until broccoli rabe stems are crisp-tender and leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add reserved sauce and cook, stirring often, until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add noodles and a handful of basil and toss gently until sauce clings to noodles, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Divide noodles among bowls and top with sesame seeds and more basil. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
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Reviews (88)
Back to TopTriangleDelicious: doubled the rabe, cooked it with a splash of noodle cooking water and after tasting the final product, added a tablespoon of black vinegar. The basil is genius.
Native New Yorker
NYC
3/17/2024
how does one print the recipe?
roby
3/14/2024
Too Spicy! I thought the spice level was too high on this , and I even skimped on the Gochujang and added a bit of chicken broth when combing everything with the noodles. I use Gochujang regularly in moderation, it's just too much of it in this recipe for me. Maybe this would be mellowed out if you added a protein, like many have in previous reviews.
Cienna M.
Grants Pass, OR
2/27/2024
Really great recipe. The tahini makes for a great sauce without using cornstarch. Easy to pair with proteins like pork shumai meatballs, cubed chicken, char siu, etc. Great framework recipe to build on.
Kevin
Aldie, VA
2/15/2024
Love this recipe - helpful hint that I always forget - this sauce can burn easily with the sugar content. I've used a wok before and it burns right up, think it does better at a lower heat when you mix in the sauce. I serve it with crushed peanuts on top too. yummy!
Olivia T
Baltimore, MD
1/23/2024
This is a wonderfully authentic dish with the perfect blend of flavors. It goes together quickly. I often add shrimp to increase the protein.
Noëlle505
Corrales, NM
2/26/2023
It couldn't be better for the amount of effort and number of ingredients! Made as written but had to use broccolini instead of broccoli rabe because it wasn't in stock. I made 1.5 the amount of sauce because we're "saucy" people. Oh yeah... I also tossed in a bag of frozen, shelled edamame to give it some protein. Great meatless main!
Bridget from MN
Wayzata, MN
2/22/2023
Amazing and so easy!! Hungry teenage boy just missed a protien so I added grilled chicken. Substituted bucatini pasta and it was just a good.
chuber
Londonderry, VT
2/16/2023
PLEASE ADD TO EPI APP
Anonymous
Tx
2/11/2023
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t have basil on hand so I used some fresh coriander leaf, I thought it worked well. Will definitely put this dish in our regular rotation.
Karan
Los angeles
1/22/2023
PSA if you haven’t had Gochujang before it is really spicy 😅 I’d reduce it if I made it again, which I probably will someday. The taste and texture were nice and it was an easy recipe. I used broccoli instead of rabe
Zizi Jeanmaire
1/18/2023
High yummy:effort ratio!
cathyb
Minneapolis
11/24/2022
This is on our regular recipe rotation - huge fans. In line with what other comments recommend, we add pan-fried tofu for extra heft. The basil is a really excellent touch - it cuts right through and tastes so nice!
Joe
DC
11/2/2022
As others have said, this is an easy, adaptable, tasty weeknight dinner. Don’t skip.
Anonymous
Dallas, TX
10/21/2022
This recipe is quick, flexible, and cheap if you already have the spices/ oils.I've tried it with broccoli rabe and broccolini, and definitely recommend the broccolini for people who don't like the bitterness of broccoli rabe. The sauce is great and adding a soft boiled egg can add some protein. Definitely adding this to my rotation of vegetarian recipes!
Anonymous
Queens, NY
9/26/2022
Explore Bon AppétitDinnerMainEasyQuickWeeknight MealsVegetarianVeganDairy-FreeSautéNoodleUdon NoodleRamenTahiniBroccoli RabeVegetableBasil
