The 50+ Best Noodles: #5 Carbonara, #4 Japchae, #3 Lasagna, #2 Bolognese, #1 Soba (2 Viewers)

[Eephus]

a slice or two of American cheese melting on top of the stew.

It tastes better than it sounds and it sounds pretty good.

I am not a food snob. Many of you have really surprised me in that way over the years, including you. But bruh, this don't sound good. It sounds bad.

In that case, the better than it sounds bar has been set very low.

Budae Jigae it's a great dish to make when you have some extra hot dogs you need to use. It's also a way to use up that kimchi in the back of your frig that doesn't crunch like it once did. I don't usually have American cheese slices around but I'll make a special trip to buy some to put on top of the army stew. It's that essential.

Then I have cheese slices to melt on top of my Pop Tarts.

 

[Chaos34]

Then I have cheese slices to melt on top of my Pop Tarts.

ay yai yai.

I confess I found a use for the sliced processed cheese food. Some very excited dude posted a recipe for nacho cheese sauce that tasted just like the yummy sauce you get at the movies or maybe the county fair. Simple. Quick roux with butter and flour, aggressively stir in some milk to get it smooth, add a bunch of processed cheese slices, canned jalapeno slices with some of their juice until the texture is right. Took less than 10 minutes, and he was right. Tasted just like he said. Unfortunately, it reminded me that stuff is disgusting.

 

[El Floppo]

My mom's Tortellini salad would be top 10.

What makes it so special?

Because my mom made it. I love you mom. Rip.

 

[pollardsvision]

#46 - Buldak Noodles
Origin: Korea and YouTube

Time for another bone to throw at Gen Z. From the opposite end of the flavor spectrum of haluski comes Buldak noodles, a Korean brand of instant noodles famous for their extreme spice levels. They're the noodles used for the Korean fire noodle challenge which went viral on YouTube almost ten years ago and is apparently still a thing. I don't get the entertainment value of watching strangers on the Internet filming themselves tearing up and turning red but I don't get a lot of things.

I've eaten several packs of Buldak noodles with both the regular hot chicken (4000 Scoville) and Carbonara (2600 Scoville) flavors. I drained the noodles and used the full spice packet and lived to tell. They're pretty tasty but the heat goes beyond a reasonable level for me, especially for a brick of instant noodles. The dominant flavor is fire although there's a hint of savoriness you can taste before your tongue shrivels up and dies. The best way I've eaten them is the Carbonara with a splash of whipping cream or a slice of American cheese added to increase the creaminess and cut the spice a little.

I’ve never met a noodle dish too spicy for me, but Buldak comes pretty close. I like the flavor, but ultimately it’s not that enjoyable due to the extreme spice.

The Creamy Carbonara has a fantastic flavor. Not quite as spicy as the 2X, but it's up there.

But the flavor is so good, I keep plowing through the pain.

 

[the moops]

a slice or two of American cheese melting on top of the stew.

It tastes better than it sounds and it sounds pretty good.

I am not a food snob. Many of you have really surprised me in that way over the years, including you. But bruh, this don't sound good. It sounds bad.

Melted American is really good on all sorts of asian noodle dishes. It really helps instant ramen. Poach and egg and put a slice of cheese on it. Yumm. Gives it a nice velvety coating

 

[Chaos34]

a slice or two of American cheese melting on top of the stew.

It tastes better than it sounds and it sounds pretty good.

I am not a food snob. Many of you have really surprised me in that way over the years, including you. But bruh, this don't sound good. It sounds bad.

Melted American is really good on all sorts of asian noodle dishes. It really helps instant ramen. Poach and egg and put a slice of cheese on it. Yumm. Gives it a nice velvety coating

I found a better use. Excellent training tool for a puppy.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

#47 - Haluski
Origin: Mitteleuropa

Haluski is humble concoction of egg noodles(or dumplings), butter and cabbage. I can attest it is comforting but its flavors are very simple and subtle which makes it better suited as a side dish. But the countdown didn't have a lot of representation from Central and Eastern Europe so I ignored the mains not apps rule and not for the last time. Haluski is also apparently a specialty of the Lenten season so now is a good time to give it a try.

The sauteed cabbage adds texture and a touch of sweetness but there's not much you can do to elevate haluski; it's just noodles and cabbage (and onion if you're feeling a bit mad).

My wife goes nuts for this stuff

It's basically buttered noodles with some cabbage. I'm sure it would be much better with homemade potato dumplings instead of egg noodles.

A good one is made with homemade noodles

 

[El Floppo]

My mom's Tortellini salad would be top 10.

What makes it so special?

Because my mom made it. I love you mom. Rip.

dammit.

really wish I'd gotten her recipe... my brother might have.

super simple light olive-oil "sauce". I want to say peas, pancetta, diced onion and sweet red peppers... might be it. very simple and minimal with the non-tortellini parts so as not to overwhelm. there'd be one bit of each in each fork full. and of course depended on the quality of the tortellini.

my mom would make a mountainous bowl of it every time I came back to visit- would be in the fridge waiting for me, regardless of the time of my arrival, I'd dig in. and would be empty long before I left.

 

[Eephus]

#45 - Spaetzle (or Spätzle for @Mrs. Rannous )
Origin - Germany

More egg dumplings from Central Europe. I ranked this higher than haluski because with spaetzle you're certain of getting dumplings while haluski also applies to dried egg noodles with cabbage. Spaetzle are all about the texture with a chewy sponginess in every bite. As for the flavor, I searched for a nicer way of saying bland but all the synonyms sounded worse.

I'm of German descent on my father's side but I don't remember eating a lot of spaetzle growing up. It was something to order at a German restaurant instead of a dish cooked by my family. There's a German place in my neighborhood now that I've probably eaten at more than any other active restaurant. They serve Käsespätzle mit Zwiebel-Buttersoße as a regular menu item. I've never ordered as an entree myself but I've had forkfuls from vegetarians who've eaten there with us. I've also had it as a side starch along with sauerbraten and it does yeoman's work soaking up the gravy.

Spaetzle is about as safe and boring as you can get but if this noodle ranking was done in a tournament format, it would probably win on penalty kicks following a scoreless draw.

 

[krista4]

#45 - Spaetzle (or Spätzle for @Mrs. Rannous )
Origin - Germany

More egg dumplings from Central Europe. I ranked this higher than haluski because with spaetzle you're certain of getting dumplings while haluski also applies to dried egg noodles with cabbage. Spaetzle are all about the texture with a chewy sponginess in every bite. As for the flavor, I searched for a nicer way of saying bland but all the synonyms sounded worse.

I'm of German descent on my father's side but I don't remember eating a lot of spaetzle growing up. It was something to order at a German restaurant instead of a dish cooked by my family. There's a German place in my neighborhood now that I've probably eaten at more than any other active restaurant. They serve Käsespätzle mit Zwiebel-Buttersoße as a regular menu item. I've never ordered as an entree myself but I've had forkfuls from vegetarians who've eaten there with us. I've also had it as a side starch along with sauerbraten and it does yeoman's work soaking up the gravy.

Spaetzle is about as safe and boring as you can get but if this noodle ranking was done in a tournament format, it would probably win on penalty kicks following a scoreless draw.

OK, now we're talking!

 

[Scoresman]

#45 - Spaetzle (or Spätzle for @Mrs. Rannous )
Origin - Germany

More egg dumplings from Central Europe. I ranked this higher than haluski because with spaetzle you're certain of getting dumplings while haluski also applies to dried egg noodles with cabbage. Spaetzle are all about the texture with a chewy sponginess in every bite. As for the flavor, I searched for a nicer way of saying bland but all the synonyms sounded worse.

I'm of German descent on my father's side but I don't remember eating a lot of spaetzle growing up. It was something to order at a German restaurant instead of a dish cooked by my family. There's a German place in my neighborhood now that I've probably eaten at more than any other active restaurant. They serve Käsespätzle mit Zwiebel-Buttersoße as a regular menu item. I've never ordered as an entree myself but I've had forkfuls from vegetarians who've eaten there with us. I've also had it as a side starch along with sauerbraten and it does yeoman's work soaking up the gravy.

Spaetzle is about as safe and boring as you can get but if this noodle ranking was done in a tournament format, it would probably win on penalty kicks following a scoreless draw.

Love Spaetzle but doesnt this violate your non-side dish rule? Is this considered a main in Germany? I've always seen it as a side here.

 

[Eephus]

Love Spaetzle but doesnt this violate your non-side dish rule? Is this considered a main in Germany? I've always seen it as a side here.

I clarified my position on this issue yesterday

 

[Eephus]

#44 - Kugel
Origin - The Jewish Diaspora

Another casserole and another dish representing Central and Eastern Europe. A kugel is made from wide egg noodles (or lokshen) baked in a cream sauce with more eggs, more butter and cottage cheese or sour cream. A lot of recipes add sweet elements like raisins or crushed pineapple. It's comfort food but the sweetness can be disconcerting when you take the first bite.

Kugel is a traditional dish among Jews and Gentiles alike that's given to your neighbors after a birth or death in the family. I remember a neighbor in Milwaukee dropping off a kugel after my mother died. It was appreciated because there wasn't a lot of food in the house. I'm also pretty sure our neighbors in SF made one for us when my daughter was born but there was a lot going on at the time. It's because of this sense of community that I'm ranking it tops among the troika of kugel, spaetzle and haluski; it's certainly not for its texture (which ranges from heavy to leaden) or its flavors (which range from slightly sweet to just weird).

 

[Sammy3469]

Love Spaetzle but doesnt this violate your non-side dish rule? Is this considered a main in Germany? I've always seen it as a side here.

I clarified my position on this issue yesterday

It can also be a main with a good wild mushroom sauce. For whatever reason it (and risotto) do the best with this type of sauce. I'm actually sort of surprised it's this low given that and I know I prefer it that way to even a well made Kugel (which I've had as well). Out of all of these Spaetzle is the one that can break out of the bland category to umami land.

 

[Spartans Rule]

Homemade egg noodles are a big tradition on my dad's side of the family. They were served on Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas) with a gravy made from the turkey drippings. Other times of the year they would go into chicken noodle soup.

I made these noodles with my wife this past Christmas and she compared them to spaetzle. My lineage goes to too many places in Europe to pin down the exact origin, but Germany is a strong contender. Whatever they are, they're delicious and would be absurdly high on my personal noodle rankings.

 

[B Maverick]

#44 - Kugel
Origin - The Jewish Diaspora

Another casserole and another dish representing Central and Eastern Europe. A kugel is made from wide egg noodles (or lokshen) baked in a cream sauce with more eggs, more butter and cottage cheese or sour cream. A lot of recipes add sweet elements like raisins or crushed pineapple. It's comfort food but the sweetness can be disconcerting when you take the first bite.

Kugel is a traditional dish among Jews and Gentiles alike that's given to your neighbors after a birth or death in the family. I remember a neighbor in Milwaukee dropping off a kugel after my mother died. It was appreciated because there wasn't a lot of food in the house. I'm also pretty sure our neighbors in SF made one for us when my daughter was born but there was a lot going on at the time. It's because of this sense of community that I'm ranking it tops among the troika of kugel, spaetzle and haluski; it's certainly not for its texture (which ranges from heavy to leaden) or its flavors (which range from slightly sweet to just weird).

My Dad loves Kugel. I haven't had it since I was a kid. Memories.....

 

[Eephus]

#43 - Pasta ai Funghi
Origin - Italy

Wide pasta strands topped with lots of mushrooms in a sauce made with butter and wine. I'm calling pappardelle noodles for this one.

This dish lives and dies with its mushrooms. I think porcini are the best but shiitake are OK as well. Cremini are always readily available and will work in a pinch but they bring more mass than flavor. I've seen recipes that use a paste made from rehydrated mushroom powder to deliver more mushroom taste and fragrance. Maybe that's the hack I've been missing because I've never had pasta ai funghi that wowed me.

This seems like another dish with a wide range of possibilities. Maybe somebody here has eaten an exceptional version made with wild mushrooms fresh off the cowpie but the couple times I've eaten it, it was more pedestrian. I like mushrooms just fine but their earthy flavor by itself doesn't grab your taste buds. The sauce is also kind of thin and doesn't coat the noodles.

 

[Scoresman]

Good list so far. Nothing that IMO is ranked too low.

 

[Scoresman]

#43 - Pasta ai Funghi
Origin - Italy

Wide pasta strands topped with lots of mushrooms in a sauce made with butter and wine. I'm calling pappardelle noodles for this one.

This dish lives and dies with its mushrooms. I think porcini are the best but ****ake are OK as well. Cremini are always readily available and will work in a pinch but they bring more mass than flavor. I've seen recipes that use a paste made from rehydrated mushroom powder to deliver more mushroom taste and fragrance. Maybe that's the hack I've been missing because I've never had pasta ai funghi that wowed me.

This seems like another dish with a wide range of possibilities. Maybe somebody here has eaten an exceptional version made with fresh wild mushrooms but the couple times I've eaten it, it was more pedestrian. I like mushrooms just fine but their earthy flavor by itself doesn't grab your taste buds. The sauce is also kind of thin and doesn't coat the noodles.

This is not something I would ever really order or make, not that I would dislike it.

Thin sauce that doesnt coat the noodles can usually be remedied by pan frying with some of the starchy pasta water for a few minutes.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

#45 - Spaetzle (or Spätzle for @Mrs. Rannous )
Origin - Germany

More egg dumplings from Central Europe. I ranked this higher than haluski because with spaetzle you're certain of getting dumplings while haluski also applies to dried egg noodles with cabbage. Spaetzle are all about the texture with a chewy sponginess in every bite. As for the flavor, I searched for a nicer way of saying bland but all the synonyms sounded worse.

I'm of German descent on my father's side but I don't remember eating a lot of spaetzle growing up. It was something to order at a German restaurant instead of a dish cooked by my family. There's a German place in my neighborhood now that I've probably eaten at more than any other active restaurant. They serve Käsespätzle mit Zwiebel-Buttersoße as a regular menu item. I've never ordered as an entree myself but I've had forkfuls from vegetarians who've eaten there with us. I've also had it as a side starch along with sauerbraten and it does yeoman's work soaking up the gravy.

Spaetzle is about as safe and boring as you can get but if this noodle ranking was done in a tournament format, it would probably win on penalty kicks following a scoreless draw.

I used to work for a German company, we’d always get a lot of visitors over here and whenever we’d take them for lunch they’d always remark about the giant portion sizes here

So when I went to Germany and went to our cafeteria, they’d always load up the plate with whatever the entree was and like a mound of spaetzle and gravy that was typically more than I can finish

So next time I heard one of them say something about our American portions I brought up my own experience. They told me that the staff there kind of sizes you up and gives you a portion based on how much they think you’re going to eat

 

[the moops]

Spaetzle is not particularly good. Safe and boring is a good description

 

[Eephus]

Good list so far. Nothing that IMO is ranked too low.

Just wait for #41

 

[Chaos34]

#43 - Pasta ai Funghi

This was a fettuccine dish for mom. I didn't care for it as a kid and loved it later. Chopped dried porcinis reconstituted in the sauce made with a drop of marsala or none at all. Caramelized onion and sauteed garlic in 50-50 butter/olive oil. Again no cream for her. Her magic for this one was large portabellos. She'd slice steaks from cap to stem and grill them. They were sausagey so fennel was in there. I'm sure the rest of the portabellos were used with the porcinis. The presentation with pasta under that big mushroom steak was pretty cool. Topped with parsley and parm. Dad hit his hard with crushed red pepper. I'm craving it.

 

[Eephus]

#42 - Orzo salad
Origin - Someplace Mediterranean

The small grains of orzo are a better shape for a dressed salad Orzo is a more delicate pasta and probably won't hold up as well over time as tortellini but an orzo salad freshly tossed with a nice vinegarette, some feta and a good variety of vegetables and herbs can rule the salad table at a potluck.

I'm probably ranking it too high because it's still a cold pasta salad but it's a big step up from tortellini salad. It's the last pasta salad we'll see although some noodles that follow may be served hot or cold. I'm padding this paragraph because there isn't a lot to say about orzo salad. I do like orzo though and usually keep a box on hand to throw in soups or something (like an orzo salad).

 

[Sammy3469]

#42 - Orzo salad
Origin - Someplace Mediterranean

The small grains of orzo are a better shape for a dressed salad Orzo is a more delicate pasta and probably won't hold up as well over time as tortellini but an orzo salad freshly tossed with a nice vinegarette, some feta and a good variety of vegetables and herbs can rule the salad table at a potluck.

I'm probably ranking it too high because it's still a cold pasta salad but it's a big step up from tortellini salad. It's the last pasta salad we'll see although some noodles that follow may be served hot or cold. I'm padding this paragraph because there isn't a lot to say about orzo salad. I do like orzo though and usually keep a box on hand to throw in soups or something (like an orzo salad).

This is probably the right place but, there are much better grains these days that can be used to make this salad which hold up better, have more flavor, and better texture. I don't remember the last time I made on orzo salad, but I make a quinoa or farro salad basically every other week.

 

[Eephus]

#41 - Pasta all'Arrabbiata/Fra Diavolo
Origin Roma

Pasta topped with a tomato-based sauce spiced with red chili peppers. I'm serving this with a penne rigate so you get a good coating of the sauce.

It's fitting that Arrabbiata means "angry" in Italian because this ranking will ruffle some feathers here for a couple of reasons. A lot of people love the spicy kick of Arrabbiata more than I do while others will object to lumping Fra Diavolo sauce in with Arrabbiata. First things first, I think the chili peppers whether they be Calabrian, jalapeno or dried red pepper flakes just add heat to the sauce without much additional complexity. It overpowers the tomatoes and aromatics in the sauce--I generally like my food spicy but I'd rather eat pasta without the chilis.

The combining of Fra Diavolo with Arrabbiata is me trying to keep this thread from being all about about minor variations on Italian tomato-based sauces. Fra Diavolo sauce is typically accompanied by some type of seafood but after you eat the prawns it's a chili spiced tomato sauce very similar to arrabbiata.

 

[Drunken knight]

#45 - Spaetzle (or Spätzle for @Mrs. Rannous )
Origin - Germany

More egg dumplings from Central Europe. I ranked this higher than haluski because with spaetzle you're certain of getting dumplings while haluski also applies to dried egg noodles with cabbage. Spaetzle are all about the texture with a chewy sponginess in every bite. As for the flavor, I searched for a nicer way of saying bland but all the synonyms sounded worse.

I'm of German descent on my father's side but I don't remember eating a lot of spaetzle growing up. It was something to order at a German restaurant instead of a dish cooked by my family. There's a German place in my neighborhood now that I've probably eaten at more than any other active restaurant. They serve Käsespätzle mit Zwiebel-Buttersoße as a regular menu item. I've never ordered as an entree myself but I've had forkfuls from vegetarians who've eaten there with us. I've also had it as a side starch along with sauerbraten and it does yeoman's work soaking up the gravy.

Spaetzle is about as safe and boring as you can get but if this noodle ranking was done in a tournament format, it would probably win on penalty kicks following a scoreless draw.

Love spaetzle! Austrian heritage, and worked at a swiss restaurant who served it. I used to serve it a few ways: on it's own pan seared. with bacon and gruyere. with grilled or fried onions.

will be making some on friday.

 

[Drunken knight]

Spaetzle is not particularly good. Safe and boring is a good description

wonderful with jager sauce

 

[Drunken knight]

https://sonnenalp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Swiss-Winter-2025-v3.pdf

 

[krista4]

https://sonnenalp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Swiss-Winter-2025-v3.pdf

I just looked up the spaetzle main course at a place we used to go in Washington:

Kase Spätzle​

A German must! Our house made spatzle smothered in our Beecher's Cheese sauce and carameliized onions. Very rich and delicious.

Even more amazing with Uli's Bacon Sausage

 

[Chaos34]

I fear mac and cheese is gonna win this thing.

 

[Chaos34]

#41 - Pasta all'Arrabbiata/Fra Diavolo

No disagreement from me. Mom tried it a few different ways and we all decided against it. It's wildly overrated and the heat doesn't really work with Italian sauces to me (us). Still whenever I see Arrabiata I think of a chef my sister almost married before he opened his restaurant in 1981. Luigi made the best I've had and still it wasn't nearly as tasty as most other options. I'm surprised he's still open considering he went through this.

 

[the moops]

I fear mac and cheese is gonna win this thing.

I don't think it will, but mac and cheese is ****ing incredible

 

[Cowboysfan8]

I fear mac and cheese is gonna win this thing.

I don't think it will, but mac and cheese is ****ing incredible

Right? What’s wrong with Mac and cheese?

 

[Eephus]

#40 Beef Stroganoff
Origin: 19th century Russia

Beef Stroganoff got its name from the Stroganov family, the Russian oligarchs of their day. It’s egg noodles again, this time covered in a sauce of beef, mushrooms, sour cream and sometimes mustard. I assumed (incorrectly it turned out) that it’s always served on noodles but it apparently also is eaten with potatoes or rice in some parts of the world. It probably should have been disqualified under the primi not secondi rule but I’d already done my rankings and there would have been a gap at #40.

It’s an old recipe and has remained unchanged by time. I have a 1943 edition of the Joy of Cooking (complete with a chapter on WWII meat rationing) and the same stroganoff recipe could be found today on any website. We used to call it "beef strokin' off" when it was on the menu at the school cafeteria but it’s old school comfort food that’s a classic for a reason.

 

[SWC]

i used to know a guy growing up named pete stroganovski and he was a total prick but did make a mean noodle dish so huh how about that take that to the bank brochachos

 

[Scoresman]

#40 Beef Stroganoff
Origin: 19th century Russia

Beef Stroganoff got its name from the Stroganov family, the Russian oligarchs of their day. It’s egg noodles again, this time covered in a sauce of beef, mushrooms, sour cream and sometimes mustard. I assumed (incorrectly it turned out) that it’s always served on noodles but it apparently also is eaten with potatoes or rice in some parts of the world. It probably should have been disqualified under the primi not secondi rule but I’d already done my rankings and there would have been a gap at #40.

It’s an old recipe and has remained unchanged by time. I have a 1943 edition of the Joy of Cooking (complete with a chapter on WWII meat rationing) and the same stroganoff recipe could be found today on any website. We used to call it "beef strokin' off" when it was on the menu at the school cafeteria but it’s old school comfort food that’s a classic for a reason.

This made our dinner rotation for a while years back and whenever my wife asked for it I'd reply "I've got a beef you can start strokin' off"

 

[Eephus]

#39 Pasta al Tonno
Origin: Italy

Another Italian tomato-based sauce, this time featuring tuna that I’m going to serve with linguine. I think al Tonno is underrated when it’s even rated at all because pasta with canned tuna doesn’t sound very appealing. Actually it’s delicious, especially if you use the imported tuna packed in olive oil.

I’ve seen recipes that call for a light sauce made from tuna and chunks of fresh tomatoes and others that call for the tuna to be simmered in a marinara. I’ve only had it the second way but really enjoyed it. The fishiness didn’t bother me at all because I add fish sauce to just about everything anyway. I even saw a recipe that used seared cubes of sashimi-grade tuna but that seems like a waste because I’m Japanese and not Italian.

 

[zamboni]

We used to call it "beef strokin' off"

First thing I thought of when I saw it in the thread title. But that’s because I’m still 12.

 

[the moops]

#39 Pasta al Tonno

Make this somewhat regularly. Super easy and tasty

 

[Zow]

#41 - Pasta all'Arrabbiata/Fra Diavolo
Origin Roma

Pasta topped with a tomato-based sauce spiced with red chili peppers. I'm serving this with a penne rigate so you get a good coating of the sauce.

It's fitting that Arrabbiata means "angry" in Italian because this ranking will ruffle some feathers here for a couple of reasons. A lot of people love the spicy kick of Arrabbiata more than I do while others will object to lumping Fra Diavolo sauce in with Arrabbiata. First things first, I think the chili peppers whether they be Calabrian, jalapeno or dried red pepper flakes just add heat to the sauce without much additional complexity. It overpowers the tomatoes and aromatics in the sauce--I generally like my food spicy but I'd rather eat pasta without the chilis.

The combining of Fra Diavolo with Arrabbiata is me trying to keep this thread from being all about about minor variations on Italian tomato-based sauces. Fra Diavolo sauce is typically accompanied by some type of seafood but after you eat the prawns it's a chili spiced tomato sauce very similar to arrabbiata.

This would have been top 5 for me - though you're correct that it's best served as a seafood dish with scallops, prawns, mussels, etc. I love a very spicy red sauce, though.

 

[El Floppo]

#39 Pasta al Tonno
Origin: Italy

Another Italian tomato-based sauce, this time featuring tuna that I’m going to serve with linguine. I think al Tonno is underrated when it’s even rated at all because pasta with canned tuna doesn’t sound very appealing. Actually it’s delicious, especially if you use the imported tuna packed in olive oil.

I’ve seen recipes that call for a light sauce made from tuna and chunks of fresh tomatoes and others that call for the tuna to be simmered in a marinara. I’ve only had it the second way but really enjoyed it. The fishiness didn’t bother me at all because I add fish sauce to just about everything anyway. I even saw a recipe that used seared cubes of sashimi-grade tuna but that seems like a waste because I’m Japanese and not Italian.

I found a recipe that was tuna in olive oil base... Garlic, sliced onion, peas and red pepper flakes (in that order, with tuna at the very end for 10-20 seconds mixed in). Took like 3 minutes to make. When I was in grad school and working long hours post grad, this was my go-to cheap, quick, yummy dinner.

 

[Tin Cup]

#40 Beef Stroganoff
Origin: 19th century Russia

Beef Stroganoff got its name from the Stroganov family, the Russian oligarchs of their day. It’s egg noodles again, this time covered in a sauce of beef, mushrooms, sour cream and sometimes mustard. I assumed (incorrectly it turned out) that it’s always served on noodles but it apparently also is eaten with potatoes or rice in some parts of the world. It probably should have been disqualified under the primi not secondi rule but I’d already done my rankings and there would have been a gap at #40.

It’s an old recipe and has remained unchanged by time. I have a 1943 edition of the Joy of Cooking (complete with a chapter on WWII meat rationing) and the same stroganoff recipe could be found today on any website. We used to call it "beef strokin' off" when it was on the menu at the school cafeteria but it’s old school comfort food that’s a classic for a reason.

Steal of the draft. Oh, wait, this isn’t a draft?

 

[gianmarco]

#40 Beef Stroganoff
Origin: 19th century Russia

Beef Stroganoff got its name from the Stroganov family, the Russian oligarchs of their day. It’s egg noodles again, this time covered in a sauce of beef, mushrooms, sour cream and sometimes mustard. I assumed (incorrectly it turned out) that it’s always served on noodles but it apparently also is eaten with potatoes or rice in some parts of the world. It probably should have been disqualified under the primi not secondi rule but I’d already done my rankings and there would have been a gap at #40.

It’s an old recipe and has remained unchanged by time. I have a 1943 edition of the Joy of Cooking (complete with a chapter on WWII meat rationing) and the same stroganoff recipe could be found today on any website. We used to call it "beef strokin' off" when it was on the menu at the school cafeteria but it’s old school comfort food that’s a classic for a reason.

Steak of the draft.

Wrong thread.

 

[Eephus]

#38 Viral TikTok Pasta w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Feta
Origin: Finland

One more trendy TikTok recipe for the kids. Finnish food blogger and TikToker Liemessa went viral in 2019 with this short video set to music by Portugal. The Man.

It’s a dead simple prep made with cherry tomatoes, a block of feta cheese, garlic and olive oil baked in a 400 degree oven until the tomatoes burst. Once out of the oven, you gently stir the tomatoes and melted cheese, add some cooked pasta to the same baking dish and garnish with some fresh basil.

It's quite an ingenious little recipe--I like how the sweet acidity of the tomato melds with the salty and tangy creaminess of the cheese. I’ve cooked it a few times since when I’ve had too many cherry tomatoes. It definitely works better with a brick of feta but crumbled cheese will suffice if that’s all you have.

 

[Chaos34]

#40 Beef Stroganoff

Mom made a mean Stroganoff straight from a 60s cookbook. Better Homes and Gardens. Such a great comfort food, I would have ranked it top 20, but then my Asian noodle game is weak so, I trust your ranking here.

#39 Pasta al Tonno

My dad had a line. "It's fine, but let's not make a habit of it." So mom didn't.

Viral TikTok Pasta w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Feta

Never heard of it, but sounds great.

 

[krista4]

#38 Viral TikTok Pasta w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Feta

Like Chaos, I'd never heard of this but think I'd love it!

 

[Scoresman]

I dont eat Feta, but often make a quick pasta with cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes, when sauteed blister and pop and make a wonderful almost creamy quick sauce.

 

[Dickies]

I dont eat Feta, but often make a quick pasta with cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes, when sauteed blister and pop and make a wonderful almost creamy quick sauce.

This is a dish I make semi regularly in the summer when tomatoes are in season. A heavy dose of olive oil, cherry tomatoes, hit it with loads of garlic with one minute left on the pasta, and finish with some of the pasta water to round out the sauce. I then add some fresh basil to the plate after tossing the pasta in the sauce.

Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best

 

[Dan Lambskin]

I fear mac and cheese is gonna win this thing.

Get some Velveeta in there and you’ve got a case for it