Red Curry Noodles

Name: Red Curry Noodles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai Inspired
Ingredients: 28-ounces udon noodles (preferably shelf-stable vacuum sealed or frozen, unthawed), see Tip; 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil, such as avocado; 1 red or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 1½ cups); 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or more to taste; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 5 ounces spinach (about 5 cups); 2 limes, one halved and the other quartered; 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided; 4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced (about 1¼ cups), divided; ½ cup (2-ounces) roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published September 21, 2026

Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

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Ready In: 30 min
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

These lively, piquant stir-fried noodles embody the easy spirit of pantry-led weeknight cooking. Store-bought Thai red curry paste is a versatile and time-saving flavor shortcut; here it is used as a punchy seasoning for chubby udon noodles, instantly imparting a rich savoriness and sharp spice, along with a complex aroma. Curry pastes come in many heat and salt levels, so add more (or less), to your preference; green or yellow curry pastes can also be used here but adjust the amount accordingly. Spinach adds freshness to the noodles, but it can be easily subbed with other leafy greens such as sliced bok choy, Chinese broccoli, kale or chard.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

28-ounces udon noodles (preferably shelf-stable vacuum sealed or frozen, unthawed), see Tip
1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil, such as avocado
1 red or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or more to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
5 ounces spinach (about 5 cups)
2 limes, one halved and the other quartered
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided
4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced (about 1¼ cups), divided
½ cup (2-ounces) roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the udon noodles and cook according to package instructions, until the noodles separate. Use tongs or chopsticks to gently loosen up the noodles. Drain, rinse well with cold water, and drain again.
Step 2
Heat a wok or large skillet on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes, until very hot. Drizzle with oil and add the onion, stirring until slightly softened and starting to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the noodles (if they have been sitting around a while and are sticking together, rinse with water to loosen them, draining off excess water), 2 tablespoons red curry paste and soy sauce and toss. Taste and check if you need more curry paste, adding another tablespoon if necessary. Add as much spinach as will fit into the pan and toss constantly, piling in more spinach as it cooks down. Keep tossing until all the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 3
Juice 1 lime over the noodles, add half of the cilantro and half of the scallions and toss well. Taste and season with salt.
Step 4
To serve, divide the noodles among 4 bowls, scatter with peanuts and the remaining scallions and cilantro, with a wedge of lime on the side.