Spicy Szechuan Noodles with Beef Sauce

Spicy Szechuan Noodles with Beef Sauce - made November 2, 2019 from Detours in Life

You might start seeing more "real food" posts coming up. Partly because my last day at work was on November 1 and now I have more time to cook and partly because there are only so many dessert recipes I can try before the 8 pounds I lost on the work weight loss challenge (I came in 3rd place, btw) try to creep back on. So cooking instead of baking, it is.

I try to look for recipes that make a reasonable amount, i.e. not enough to feed an army of teenagers but yet a little more than half a serving to make dirtying up pots and pans worthwhile. Plus they have to be easy to make. While I don't mind working on a multi-step, multi-day dessert, when it comes to cooking, 30 minutes or less is ideal.

This recipe fits the bill. Once you get your mise en place, it comes together in literally a few minutes. Boiling the water for the pasta and browning the ground beef vie with each other for being "time consuming" if 5-10 minutes is time-consuming to you. So this qualifies as another easy, weeknight meal that's totally doable to put together at the end of a long day.

And - this is the exciting part - it tastes really good too. The sauce is creamy and, like the Instant Pot Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken, isn't too spicy but has enough flavor to be much better than the bland pasta stuff you buy in a box. No judgment here - those bland pasta boxes got me through college and most of my adulthood. But this dish is equally easy to put together and is delicious. I've almost impressed myself that I can make something I could even serve at a dinner party. If I was inclined to host a dinner party that involved more than serving just desserts to my guests. Which I'm not....yet. But maybe someday.

1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (I put in half that amount)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup beef broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 ounces angel hair pasta
1/2 cup diced green onions

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain and keep warm.
2. Pour sesame oil in the pan and heat until hot. Add garlic, onion, ginger and red pepper flakes. Saute until tender.
3. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to the package directions.
4. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and beef broth, whisking until smooth.
5. Stir broth mixture into the onion mixture. Add the hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
6. Add back the ground beef and stir to combine. Toss with cooked pasta and sprinkle with green onions.