Name: Dan Dan Noodles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.04); 1 lb. ground pork ($4.29); 4 garlic cloves (minced, (1 Tbsp) $0.24); 2 tsp fresh ginger (grated, $0.07); 1 cup frozen spinach (thawed & squeezed dry, $0.32*); 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.05); 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03); ½ cup soy sauce (4 oz., $0.42); ¼ cup rice vinegar (2 oz., $0.49); 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (48g, $0.21**); 2 Tbsp chili crisp (or chili oil, (1 oz.) $0.67); 2 Tbsp brown sugar (24g, $0.06); 1 lb. thin spaghetti ($0.98); 6 green onions (sliced, $0.72); ⅓ cup dry roasted peanuts (crushed, (48g) $0.27)

An easy, at-home take on Dan Dan Noodles made with spaghetti, ground pork, peanut butter, and chili crisp for big flavor with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.04)

1 lb. ground pork ($4.29)

4 garlic cloves (minced, (1 Tbsp) $0.24)

2 tsp fresh ginger (grated, $0.07)

1 cup frozen spinach (thawed & squeezed dry, $0.32*)

1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.05)

1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03)

½ cup soy sauce (4 oz., $0.42)

¼ cup rice vinegar (2 oz., $0.49)

3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter (48g, $0.21**)

2 Tbsp chili crisp (or chili oil, (1 oz.) $0.67)

2 Tbsp brown sugar (24g, $0.06)

1 lb. thin spaghetti ($0.98)

6 green onions (sliced, $0.72)

⅓ cup dry roasted peanuts (crushed, (48g) $0.27)

Instructions

1 Gather and prep all ingredients.

2 Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining and set noodles aside.

3 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and press down without moving it for a few minutes to get a nice browned, slightly crispy base.

4 Stir in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and spinach. Stir-fry quickly until fully combined and heated through. Remove from heat.

5 In a large mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, chili crisp, brown sugar, and about half of the reserved pasta water. Mix until smooth.

6 Toss noodles in the sauce, adding more pasta water*** as needed. The sauce should coat the noodles evenly without being thick or gloopy

7 Place peanuts in a sealed ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin until coarse. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle or a food processor.

8 Divide dressed noodles evenly among serving bowls. Top each with a portion of the pork mixture, sliced green onions, and crushed peanuts. Serve immediately****.