Buttery Oyster Sauce Noodles Recipe

“One night when I was a kid, I had a neighborhood friend over for dinner. We were 10 years old at the time, and he sat totally still with his hands in his lap for the whole meal, politely declining all the dishes my mom offered him,” says 2022 F&W Best New Chef Calvin Eng. “At the end of the meal, after much insistence from my mom, who couldn’t stand to send him home on an empty stomach, he quietly requested a bowl of buttered noodles. My mom had never heard of such a dish. I hadn’t either. Her quick-fix pasta was usually a mound of massively overcooked noodles tossed with whatever Chinese condiments we had in the fridge, usually a mash-up of oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. It was delicious and definitely not nutritious. My sister and I loved it. So these buttery noodles, coated in savory oyster sauce and toasty sesame oil, are dedicated to that friend, to all the kids who don’t want to eat anything from this book [Salt Sugar MSG], and to all the parents (like us) who are too tired to think of anything else.” 

What is the best type of pasta for this dish?

Any type of pasta will work for this dish, so use whatever you have left in your pantry. 

Is there a vegetarian substitution for oyster sauce?

Yes, several brands, such as Lee Kum Kee and Kikkoman, make a vegan or vegetarian version of oyster sauce.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The Test Kitchen always saves more pasta cooking water than the recipe calls for just to make sure it’s available if the pasta starts to stick together.