25 Best Noodle Recipes From Around the World

Quick Shoyu Ramen — The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Noodles are popular in various forms in countries around the world. You'll find oodles of recipes here for classic dishes from global cuisines, including some that use common pantry ingredients as clever shortcuts. From pad thai and peanut noodles to Vietnamese pho, and Italian cacio e pepe, these mouthwatering noodle recipes let you explore the world on a plate.

01 of 25

Japanese Vegan Udon Noodle Soup

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Soothing miso udon noodle soup is a staple dish of Japanese cuisine. Our yummy vegan version is like a warm hug in a bowl. It features thick wheat noodles simmered in a savory broth with Chinese broccoli, ginger, and garlic. Top it with a scattering of scallions, chopped cilantro, and roasted peanuts for a satisfying one-bowl supper.
02 of 25

Easy Homemade Chicken Pad Thai

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Thai cuisine's most popular export is this tasty noodle stir-fry featuring lots of fresh vegetables, crunchy peanuts, rice noodles, and an addictive sweet-and-tangy sauce. The sauce is made of chicken stock, rice vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce, and provides a sweet and tangy flavor to the chicken, noodles, egg, and bean sprouts.
03 of 25

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

The Spruce / Christine Ma

Considered to be Taiwan’s national dish, beef noodle soup is a staple in restaurants, night markets, and food courts throughout the island country. You can easily find two or three adjacent food stalls serving their original variation on the dish with a devoted fanbase. There's even an annual Beef Noodle Festival, where chefs compete for the title of best beef noodle soup in Taiwan.
04 of 25

Misua Soup (Chinese New Year Longevity Noodles)

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

In Chinese communities, longevity noodles (also called "long-life noodles") are essential food for lunar new year celebrations, wedding banquets, and other special occasions. Typically made with thin wheat noodles called misua, this soup includes mushrooms and green vegetables, both of which symbolize prosperity in Chinese culture. Slurping the strands without biting through the noodles is considered an especially lucky omen for the year ahead.

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05 of 25

Easy Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles

The Spruce Eats / Stephanie Goldfinger

Chinese Szechuan cuisine is known for its fiery dishes, and this one doesn't disappoint. Dan dan noodles, which originated as a street snack in China, are spicy, warming, and oh-so-satisfying. Our meatless version features slender wheat noodles tossed in the signature sweet, tangy, peppery sauce, with a garnish of scallions and roasted peanuts adding texture.
06 of 25

Pho Bo Soup (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

Along with pad thai, there is probably no dish so associated with Vietnamese cuisine as pho. Pronounced "fuh" (like "duh"), pho is technically a soup, but it is really a super-nourishing meal in one bowl. Our beef noodle pho with brisket and bone marrow, plus loads of fresh vegetables and herbs, all swimming in a complex, delicately broth, takes some time and effort to prepare—but the results are absolutely worth it.
07 of 25

Korean Rabokki (Ramen + Dukboki)

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Rabokki is the combination of two delicious things: ramen noodle and dukboki (or tteokbokki). Dukboki is a spicy rice cake (duk) dish that's closely associated in Korean cuisine with the royal court of the Joseon dynasty (1392—1897). Today, both dukboki and rabokki are popularly enjoyed as Korean street food.
08 of 25

Spaghetti Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Pasta) Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

It may sound unusual to American ears, but ketchup pasta is a staple recipe of yoshoku cuisine, a brand of Japanese fusion cooking that combines Western-style foods with unique Japanese influences. You may make it with bacon, sausage, or luncheon meat, but you absolutely must use tomato ketchup (not Italian-style tomato sauce) to dress the noodles. Green peppers, onions, and a dash of hot sauce round out this iconic dish.

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09 of 25

Bangkok-Style Drunken Noodles Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Stephanie Goldfinger

Drunken noodles are a street stall staple in Bangkok, Thailand where they are a favorite among late-night revelers. Typically made spicy, Western eaters can adjust the amount of heat to taste without sacrificing flavor. You can also prepare this versatile noodle stir-fry, with or without added protein, to suit your dietary needs. If you drink beer, a cold one will taste great alongside.
10 of 25

Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Mateja Kobescak

Cold sesame noodles are popular with eaters of all ages, thanks to their nutty sauce. This easy, nutritious weeknight dinner can be topped with sliced, cooked chicken and plenty of vegetables to make it a one-dish meal that's ready in minutes.
11 of 25

German Spaetzle With Mushrooms in Cream Sauce Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Spaetzle is a traditional German egg pasta that comes in different, but always irregular, shapes. Use store-bought spaetzle for this winning pasta dish made with fewer than 10 ingredients, and featuring a rich and delicious mushroom-cream sauce. Throw it together in less than 30 minutes for a dinner party-worthy dish that is easy on the host.
12 of 25

La Paz Batchoy (Filipino Pork Noodle Soup) Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Batchoy is a popular comfort food soup from the Philipines that originated in La Paz, a district of the Filipino island of Panay. What sets it apart from other noodle soups is the rich, gingery, complex broth which is made with pork innards. It is traditionally topped with crushed chicharron (pork cracklings), and is a deeply warming soup to enjoy on cold or rainy days.

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13 of 25

Bun Bo Xao (Vietnamese Noodle Salad With Lemongrass Beef) Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

This colorful Southeast Asian noodle salad with warm slices of lemongrass beef will make a well-balanced lighter meal for two. It's also a clever way to stretch a small amount of beef to generously feed a couple of hungry eaters. The meat is flavored with lemongrass, garlic, and fish sauce, and then arranged atop bowls of cooled rice noodles, along with fresh herbs, peanuts, and fried shallots.
14 of 25

Easy Beef Stroganoff

The Spruce / Karen Hibbard

Originating from the 1800s in Russia, beef Stroganoff has evolved to become a favorite American comfort food. Our easy recipe delivers all the flavors of the traditional dish, combining savory beef and onions with a creamy sauce made with a roux, beef broth, and sour cream, for ladling over hot buttered egg noodles. It is one of those magical dishes that you can throw together in less than an hour, and tastes better than the sum of its parts.
15 of 25

Thai Chicken Pad See Ew (Broad Rice Noodles Fried With Soy Sauce) Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Pad see ew is a delicious Thai noodle dish of flat, wide rice noodles pan-fried in soy sauce with meat, egg, and vegetables. Our easy weeknight recipe adds lightly-marinated strips of chicken and broccoli, making the dish into a filling family meal. You'll want to use the herbed, sweet, and tangy sauce in all your other stir-fries.
16 of 25

Malaysian Laksa Noodle Soup With Chicken and Prawns Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Curry laksa is a popular and flavorful Malaysian dish. It is a thick and warming one-bowl meal with chicken, shrimp, coconut cream or milk, lime juice, sugar, spices, and tender rice noodles. Garnishes are an essential component of this dish that you can vary them to suit your tastes, adding your choice of crispy fried shallots, chopped fresh cilantro, chili paste, and even sliced hard-boiled eggs.

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17 of 25

Polish Haluski Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

Polish hałuski is a comfort food noodle dish that includes two staples of Polish cuisine—cabbage, and buttered egg noodles. You need just six ingredients (plus salt to taste) to prepare it. We've included tips for using the oven or stove-top, depending on your preference. Try it for a different kind of side dish with your holiday ham or roast chicken.
18 of 25

Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Stephanie Goldfinger

Originally from China, today chow mein is one of the most popular noodle dishes worldwide. Our easy, healthful vegetarian chow mein cooks up quickly on the stovetop for a hearty, no-fuss weeknight meal. Carnivores can add slices of leftover roast chicken or steak to round it out for dinner.
19 of 25

Italian Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

The Spruce / Loren Runion

The Italians call it spaghetti aglio e olio, or spaghetti with garlic and oil. Originally from Naples, the capital of Italy's Campania region, it is simply the easiest, most flavorful, authentic Italian pasta dish you can prepare in less than 15 minutes. You can also make it vegan in a snap, by omitting the Parmesan cheese. It's sure to become a weeknight staple.
20 of 25

Quick Japanese Shoyu Ramen Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Shoyu ramen is a universally-appealing Japanese noodle soup. Our simple recipe makes it quick and easy to cook up a satisfying shoyu ramen for two at home, without skimping on flavor. The secret is using a store-bought dashi soup stock, which combines with prepared chicken stock, dried chukamen noodles, a few other Asian ingredients to create the ultimate, soothing noodle soup.

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21 of 25

Greek Pastitsio (Baked Pasta With Meat and Béchamel Sauce) Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

You can think of pastitsio as the Greek version of lasagna. It's a bubbling pasta bake with layers of savory ground meat, tender macaroni noodles, a tangy, cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce, and a rich and creamy béchamel sauce. If you can't find Greek Kefalotyri cheese, feel free to replace it with Parmesan.
22 of 25

Malaysian Char Kway Teow Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo

Char kway teow is a classic Malaysian rice noodle dish that is a popular street food in several Southeast Asian nations. It is a hearty medley of wide rice noodles, meat, and seafood, seasoned with soy sauce and shrimp paste, and topped off with crunchy bean sprouts and fried eggs. You need just 20 minutes to whip it up for your dinner table in a searing-hot pan whenever you crave a tasty, filling meal.
23 of 25

Italian Cappelletti (Stuffed Pasta "Hats") Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Dating back at least to the Middle Ages in Northern Italy, cappelletti are a delicious variety of stuffed fresh pasta. Their name means "little hats", which is what the filled and folded pasta shapes resemble. With a luxurious filling of chicken or pork, two kinds of Italian cheese, egg, nutmeg, and lemon zest, they are special enough for your most important guests, and can be served in the traditional meat broth, or in a brown butter or heavy cream sauce if you prefer.
24 of 25

Tallarines Verdes (South American Green Noodles)

The Spruce / Ana Zelic

South American tallarines verdes (green noodles) are typically long noodles like fettuccine or spaghetti tossed in a green sauce made with both spinach and basil, similar to a pesto sauce. The sauce also has lots of queso fresco cheese and is creamier than traditional pesto sauce.

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25 of 25

Instant Pot Kugel Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Noodle kugel (or lokshen kugel) is a favorite Jewish holiday side dish of egg noodles baked in a sweet custard. This version uses the Instant Pot to cook in about half the time of a traditional baked kugel while freeing up your oven for other dishes. You'll love the irresistible, buttery cornflake crumb topping.

Chinese Dinner Recipes

Our Favorite Noodle Recipes From Around the World