Drunken knight
Footballguy
meh
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The 50+ Best Noodles: #5 Carbonara, #4 Japchae, #3 Lasagna, #2 Bolognese, #1 Soba (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Eephus
- Start date
Eephus
Footballguy
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Don Quixote
Footballguy
Chaos34
Footballguy
It really is. Deserves to be ranked above a few I think are coming.
Glad to see it ranked over Arrabiatta. In addition to your comments the high alcohol content, as opposed to wine, works as an emulsifier and solvent. As a solvent it releases aromatics from the tomatoes and spices other sauces don't. As an emulsifier it works to blend the tomatoes and cream into that luscious texture. Mom was a decade behind on this one, but definitely produced a great version I can imitate. It's a great dish.
Chaos34
Footballguy
I prefer to think of it just like I think of her. Challenging. They sure rave about it, but yeah. Not sure after reading it. Doesn't matter. It's RiRi. Eating it will make me feel part of the family.
Drunken knight
Footballguy
Chaos34
Footballguy
Yeah, I saw you give vodka sauce a meh. Oh well. This thread has me craving, and I want company, so I'm planning a 6-8 hr Sunday gravy for tomorrow. Speaking of snobs, my mom used to walk into an Italian restaurant and judge their sauce by how the place smelled. She'd sniff the air and say something like, "Ew. Too much onion."
Eephus
Footballguy
#28 Cannelloni/Manicotti/Conchiglioni
Origin: Italy
May God, the saints and your Italian grandma have mercy for I have sinned. I’ve lumped three different different stuffed pastas into a single item and then ranked them all too low. The dishes differ in the type of pasta used as the wrapper and there are further variations in the stuffing department. Most recipes feature cheese on the inside, usually ricotta but sometimes mascarpone. You can also add spinach or meat as well. The tube or shell is then sauced and baked. Since I haven’t left the confessional yet, I’ll just describe them as Italian enchiladas.
I have a dish in my top ten with similar ingredients and flavors so the lower ranking cannelloni ranking is influenced by structure and personal experience. I’ve ordered cannelloni at Italian restaurants and they’ve always been alright. I suspect they were prepared hours before and flashed right before serving so I may have missed out on something important.
Origin: Italy
May God, the saints and your Italian grandma have mercy for I have sinned. I’ve lumped three different different stuffed pastas into a single item and then ranked them all too low. The dishes differ in the type of pasta used as the wrapper and there are further variations in the stuffing department. Most recipes feature cheese on the inside, usually ricotta but sometimes mascarpone. You can also add spinach or meat as well. The tube or shell is then sauced and baked. Since I haven’t left the confessional yet, I’ll just describe them as Italian enchiladas.
I have a dish in my top ten with similar ingredients and flavors so the lower ranking cannelloni ranking is influenced by structure and personal experience. I’ve ordered cannelloni at Italian restaurants and they’ve always been alright. I suspect they were prepared hours before and flashed right before serving so I may have missed out on something important.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
My BARBRI instructor claimed her father invented vodka sauce.
rockaction
Footballguy
Was that the property woman? The one who would sing about easements and stuff?
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I think Patti Labelle has a somewhat famous baked Mac n cheese recipe.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I had the same one: Paula Franzese. Her father was Luigi Franzese.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Are you specifically talking about Annie's?
Because I don't know and didnt comment about anything else.
El Floppo
Footballguy
I blame my parents for not having us go there and try this. Never even heard of it.
Eta . And it sounds fantastic
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krista4
Footballguy
The list has hit a rough patch starting with Pad Thai. But this is something I'd like to try!
krista4
Footballguy
:tappingmyfoot:
Zow
Footballguy
I assume they cut him off from the rum cake, too?
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah it sounds amazing, I am for sure going to try to make this
Chaos34
Footballguy
I remember you once informing me cheese and seafood was a big no no. Pretty sure it was a fish taco discussion. How do I remember this but can rewatch a series like it's new to me?
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Drunken knight
Footballguy
personally, i do not think it is bad. it just doesn't excite me
Eephus
Footballguy
#27 Dandan Noodles
Origin: China
Dandan noodles originated in Sichuan province and got their name from the poles carried by street vendors with a basket containing noodles and the sauce at either end. The wheat noodles are coated by a spicy sauce flavored with chilis, pickled vegetables and Sichuan peppers. It’s topped with chopped peanuts and scallions and sometimes minced pork.
As the dish migrated south to Hong Kong and Canton/Guangzhou, dandan noodles became more like a soup served in a spicy, vinegary broth. American variations go heavier on the savory peanut flavors and a little lighter on the heat. I’ve eaten dandan noodles here with a creamy sauce containing peanut butter. It was tasty and in some ways I preferred it to more authentic versions dominated by Sichuan peppercorns. I enjoy the tongue numbing sensation that comes with the first bite but that grows old by the bottom of the bowl because dandan noodles have fewer components than some other Sichuan specialties.
Origin: China
Dandan noodles originated in Sichuan province and got their name from the poles carried by street vendors with a basket containing noodles and the sauce at either end. The wheat noodles are coated by a spicy sauce flavored with chilis, pickled vegetables and Sichuan peppers. It’s topped with chopped peanuts and scallions and sometimes minced pork.
As the dish migrated south to Hong Kong and Canton/Guangzhou, dandan noodles became more like a soup served in a spicy, vinegary broth. American variations go heavier on the savory peanut flavors and a little lighter on the heat. I’ve eaten dandan noodles here with a creamy sauce containing peanut butter. It was tasty and in some ways I preferred it to more authentic versions dominated by Sichuan peppercorns. I enjoy the tongue numbing sensation that comes with the first bite but that grows old by the bottom of the bowl because dandan noodles have fewer components than some other Sichuan specialties.
Eephus
Footballguy
Chaos34
Footballguy
In another realm where I had the same concern, I explained it briefly to AI and it formatted it for me. 2 minutes to explain, 15 seconds for the cut and paste.
Chaos34
Footballguy
I did the Sunday gravy last night so today I'll have the even better the next day thing going. So easy and so amazing. While mom's sauce was her signature thing and what she was most proud of, the truth is it's easily matched, easy to make, and a pretty simple dish. Making the meatballs is the only work. This will do the trick.
The aromatics went in at 1am and I cut the heat and got to experience a childhood memory. Sauce sandwich! It was so good I had to kick it up a notch. Meatball sandwich! Now I get more nostalgia. Cold meatball on a fork!
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Drunken knight
Footballguy
they are pretty simple.
I was a sous in a fine dining Italian restaurant... made about 4-5 bases of tomato sauces ( wine, no wine, different textures, herbs, etc)... and then the derivatives from there.
i definitely crave a meatball sandwich now and then. in high school, a local deli on taraval (herb's deli)would only offer them on thursdays.
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Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
This is a top 10 noodle dish for me because, again, amazing with Tiki drinks. It's a dish I really miss since moving up to Central New York. Wegman's have actually started doing a version of this as one of their Power Bowls up here, but it's kind of just a quasi-Asian Chili Mac. Not a pickled vegetable to be found. I am addicted to those numbing sichauan peppercorns, though. And I think minced pork is tastier than minced beef.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I have not had crab garlic noodles, though it's on my list if I ever make it to the Bay Area. I have tried to do my own bastardized type of versions "inspired" by the idea of them as I understand them from YouTube video. Usually some type of soy-based noodle (like the soy and scallions ones) with my adding butter and garlic and either blue crab (dungeness is not really available here) or even fake crab. However bowdlerized it is, it's a tasty lunch. I did not know that oyster sauce was a component. May add some.
Eephus
Footballguy
The oyster sauce adds some sweetness
Eephus
Footballguy
#26 Fettuccine Alfredo
Origin: Rome
Let’s pour one out for Alfredo Di Lelio, the Roman restaurateur who invented his namesake dish at his restaurant in Rome early in the 20th century. He prepared it tableside with a simple sauce of butter and parmesan. It was a sensation and his restaurants became a destination for the celebrities of his day.
The recipe has been bastardized somewhere along the way and so Americans now associate Alfredo with a cheesy cream sauce. I didn’t know how to reconcile Di Lelio’s elegant cheese and butter preparation with the flavored wallpaper paste you get at Olive Garden. It lost a couple of points for subtlety which placed it near the middle of the fifty. Ingredients always matter but it’s even more critical for a dish like an Alfredo. Good parmesan is crucial and I think fresh pasta makes more of a difference here than in a typical tomato-based sauce.
Origin: Rome
Let’s pour one out for Alfredo Di Lelio, the Roman restaurateur who invented his namesake dish at his restaurant in Rome early in the 20th century. He prepared it tableside with a simple sauce of butter and parmesan. It was a sensation and his restaurants became a destination for the celebrities of his day.
The recipe has been bastardized somewhere along the way and so Americans now associate Alfredo with a cheesy cream sauce. I didn’t know how to reconcile Di Lelio’s elegant cheese and butter preparation with the flavored wallpaper paste you get at Olive Garden. It lost a couple of points for subtlety which placed it near the middle of the fifty. Ingredients always matter but it’s even more critical for a dish like an Alfredo. Good parmesan is crucial and I think fresh pasta makes more of a difference here than in a typical tomato-based sauce.
Chaos34
Footballguy
Another Asian noodle dish I haven't tried but the peanutty inauthentic version sounds like something for me. I think I'm a rookie on Asian noodles because despite loving Asian food, I always order some non-noodle dish with rice. I doubt there's any decent dandan here but I'll check menus online.
Drunken knight
Footballguy
I used to like Alfredo, but it has been to rich for me for a while. I like it more with different cheeses, additional flavors, and thinned out a little.
Eephus
Footballguy
I should have mentioned the fermented greens (sui mi ya cai) that adds some funk to the heat and numbness.
Chaos34
Footballguy
Nothing much to add to your write up. Mom made it both ways and the lighter buttery version would be my choice. Wallpaper paste made me laugh. That version seems better served as a small side. Some shrimp or a piece of fish, little pile of wallpaper paste, caesar's salad.
I'd put it in the mix with an improved non-boxed stove top mac and cheese.
BLOCKED_PUNT
Footballguy
aren't these egg noodles? When I was a kid that's what I and/or my parents would use. I guess you could use any noodle but I've always used egg
Eephus
Footballguy
Does it really matter?
BLOCKED_PUNT
Footballguy
If a recipe tastes better/worse with a certain style/type of noodle then yes but I think just butter and parm likely tastes the same so no. I've just always done it with egg noodles and it made me feel smart that I knew what kind of noodle.
Eephus
Footballguy
Might I interest you in some sauce?
BLOCKED_PUNT
Footballguy
which one?
Eephus
Footballguy
It's a solid reliable classic
Eephus
Footballguy
Making Fettuccine Alfredo isn't too far removed from boxed mac & cheese.
Cook the noodles to al dente, drain and add them to a pan while still hot along with butter, grated parmesan and some of the reserved pasta water. It takes quite a lot of butter (1-2 sticks) and cheese (1/2 lb) to make an Alfredo from one lb of dried pasta.
Eephus
Footballguy
#25 Chicken Noodle soup
Origin: Your mom or a can
Every culture has a variant of this but I’m focusing on the typical European-American version with short cut noodles, shredded or diced chicken and some basic aromatic vegetables swimming in chicken broth. The noodle can range in size from a matzo ball to acini di pepe but it hardly matters because the broth is the most important ingredient in the pot. You can swap noodles for barley, rice or potatoes without anybody noticing.
Chicken noodle soup is perhaps the quintessential comfort food so it deserves an honored place in the rankings. On the other hand, it’s unapologetically boring, which is OK if you're sick and your taste buds are bunged up but the competition gets tougher in the top half of the bracket and we need flavors more than something that's safe and comforting.
Origin: Your mom or a can
Every culture has a variant of this but I’m focusing on the typical European-American version with short cut noodles, shredded or diced chicken and some basic aromatic vegetables swimming in chicken broth. The noodle can range in size from a matzo ball to acini di pepe but it hardly matters because the broth is the most important ingredient in the pot. You can swap noodles for barley, rice or potatoes without anybody noticing.
Chicken noodle soup is perhaps the quintessential comfort food so it deserves an honored place in the rankings. On the other hand, it’s unapologetically boring, which is OK if you're sick and your taste buds are bunged up but the competition gets tougher in the top half of the bracket and we need flavors more than something that's safe and comforting.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
When I make baked ziti, I add a cup of pasta water to the mix as well. Adds flavor and helps thicken the ziti mix.
Eephus
Footballguy
#24 Tteokbokki
Origin: Korea
Tteokbokki is a Korean dish of rice cakes (tteok myeon) simmered in a spicy sauce made with a red chili paste called gochujang. The plain rice cakes fall somewhere between a noodle or a dumpling. They’re thick and chewy which I criticized in the udon and gnocchi sections but I think they work better in this recipe because you want something more neutral and substantial to counteract the fiery sauce.
Gochujang is one of my favorite ingredients to bring heat to a dish. In addition to the dominant hot smoky flavors of the gochu peppers, the paste includes fermented soybeans and rice to add complexity with some umami and sweet notes. As I write this on Sunday afternoon, I’m braising some pork shoulder in a sauce of gochujang and its less spicy cousin doenjang. If there’s any sauce left over after we finish the pork, I have some tteok myeon in the freezer for a snack later.
Tteokbokki is a humble Korean street food dish. It’s delicious but you only have one shot to eat it. The noodles get hard if they go cold and there’s no good way to revive them.
Origin: Korea
Tteokbokki is a Korean dish of rice cakes (tteok myeon) simmered in a spicy sauce made with a red chili paste called gochujang. The plain rice cakes fall somewhere between a noodle or a dumpling. They’re thick and chewy which I criticized in the udon and gnocchi sections but I think they work better in this recipe because you want something more neutral and substantial to counteract the fiery sauce.
Gochujang is one of my favorite ingredients to bring heat to a dish. In addition to the dominant hot smoky flavors of the gochu peppers, the paste includes fermented soybeans and rice to add complexity with some umami and sweet notes. As I write this on Sunday afternoon, I’m braising some pork shoulder in a sauce of gochujang and its less spicy cousin doenjang. If there’s any sauce left over after we finish the pork, I have some tteok myeon in the freezer for a snack later.
Tteokbokki is a humble Korean street food dish. It’s delicious but you only have one shot to eat it. The noodles get hard if they go cold and there’s no good way to revive them.
the moops
Footballguy
Yea this is my go to and I get quite annoyed when I run out
Eephus
Footballguy
#23 Cacio e pepe
Origin: Italy
In retrospect I probably should have combined Cacio e pepe with Alfredo but at least they’re pretty close in the rankings. Cacio e pepe is a peasant dish while the urban creation Alfredo is a little more refined. Traditional cacio e pepe consists just three ingredients: pasta, pecorino romano cheese and coarsely ground black pepper along with some pasta water. Romano comes from sheep’s milk and has a sharper taste than the parmesan used in an Alfredo. The other key difference between the two dishes is the addition of butter to the Alfredo which gives it a richer texture. I’m ignoring the black pepper as a differentiator because you can add it to fettuccine Alfredo.
Just like for Alfredo, American recipes for cacio e pepe often add cream. That’s OK; nobody gets hurt by that except maybe our arteries. The flavors of the romano and pepper are strong enough to shine through.
Origin: Italy
In retrospect I probably should have combined Cacio e pepe with Alfredo but at least they’re pretty close in the rankings. Cacio e pepe is a peasant dish while the urban creation Alfredo is a little more refined. Traditional cacio e pepe consists just three ingredients: pasta, pecorino romano cheese and coarsely ground black pepper along with some pasta water. Romano comes from sheep’s milk and has a sharper taste than the parmesan used in an Alfredo. The other key difference between the two dishes is the addition of butter to the Alfredo which gives it a richer texture. I’m ignoring the black pepper as a differentiator because you can add it to fettuccine Alfredo.
Just like for Alfredo, American recipes for cacio e pepe often add cream. That’s OK; nobody gets hurt by that except maybe our arteries. The flavors of the romano and pepper are strong enough to shine through.
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