Peanut Noodles With Spicy Tofu 

By Sue Li

Published April 29, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
30 min
Rating
5(7)
Comments
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Delicious and well-balanced, this silky noodle recipe starts with a no-cook peanut butter sauce seasoned with pantry ingredients. Bouncy bucatini props up the garlicky-peanut sauce, and the textural and lightly spicy tofu crumble makes the whole dish a meal. The spicy tofu, on its own, can also be eaten with rice or tucked into a banh mi-style sandwich. If you only have regular, sweetened peanut butter, skip the added brown sugar in the recipe. The recipe doubles easily to serve four if desired.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

  • ⅓ cup unsweetened smooth, natural peanut butter

  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided

  • Salt

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  • 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and gently squeezed to remove excess liquid

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

  • 2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes) or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 8 ounces bucatini or spaghetti

  • Coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving 

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter, brown sugar and vinegar with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and half the garlic; season to taste with salt and set aside. (The peanut butter mixture will turn into a thick paste.) 

  3. Step 3

    Heat a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat until it is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and raise the heat to medium-high. With your hands, crumble the tofu into the pan in a single layer. Let the tofu cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. The tofu that is touching the pan should be golden brown. With a spatula, turn and flip the tofu crumbles and cook, undisturbed, for another 5 minutes. 

  4. Step 4

    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the remaining garlic, the scallions and gochugaru and toss to coat. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are softened, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off and set the pan aside. 

  5. Step 5

    Season the boiling water generously with salt and cook the pasta according to package instructions, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, and return the cooked pasta back into the pot. Add the reserved peanut butter mixture and about ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water. Turn the heat on to low and stir the pasta with the sauce until the peanut sauce starts to melt and emulsify with the pasta cooking water and coats the pasta. If the pasta sauce seems too thick, add another splash of pasta cooking water to thin it out. 

  6. Step 6

    Divide the peanut noodles between two bowls; top with the tofu crumbles and chopped cilantro.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7 user ratings
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Comments

MER

Some grated ginger, some sesame oil, and some Chinese five spice powder in the peanut sauce might just make it more delicious.

Eileen

I make my peanut sauce with lime juice instead of vinegar, but both are good. I also add some toasted sesame oil and don't cook the sauce much (just heat it). There's no need to add salt with the soy sauce, which has a lot of sodium.

HeatherD

What makes the tofu spicy? In the photo the tofu appears to be coated with something and caramelized, but in the recipe it’s just browned in oil. I’d to try cooking with tofu, but if the tofu itself ends up flavorless, this recipe might not be the best introduction. Thoughts from experienced tofu cooks?

LAZ

The red pepper flakes will spice it up a bit.

Beth

@HeatherD The gochugaro that’s added after browning the tofu. It adds a lot of flavor too, not just heat.

MartyR

Toasted sesame oil.

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