We all have those nights where you’re craving something different while simultaneously not wanting to spend an hour cooking or waiting for take-out. Luckily, tasty and time consuming are entirely different things in the kitchen and some of the best stuff out there takes no more than 5 minutes to make.

Noodles are a staple of eastern cuisine because their relatively cheap, easy to make, and take almost nothing of your time. You can whip a delicious bowl in the time of an Prime ad break and still come back without missing a beat of the show you’re watching.

Another awesome feature of noodles is that they’re meant to be a mix of your leftovers; you probably already have all the ingredients in your fridge right now. So why not put it to good use? Here’s a quick noodle recipe you can prepare tonight to mix things up.

 What You’ll Need (Serves 2)

Grab these basics and you’re good to go:

• 200-250g noodles (ramen, spaghetti, soba, or udon all work, just pick your favorite)
• 3-4 tbsp Hotgirlsauce chili oil (start with 3, add more if you like it hot)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari works for gluten-free)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1-2 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional, but the sweetness balances everything)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Optional toppings: toasted sesame seeds, soft-boiled egg, cucumber, shredded chicken, or whatever veggies you have

How To Do It

Start by cooking your noodles just like it says in the package, or al dente if that’s what you prefer.  Then you want to drain them give them a quick rinse in cold water which stops the cooking process and keeps them from turning into goo.

While the noodles are cooking, you can work on your sauce by mixing that Hot Girl sauce chili with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey (if you’re using it) and minced garlic. Once they’re homogenous, give it a taste, you want the flavor to be bold, spicy, but also balanced.

Once you’re happy with your sauce, toss those noodles into the bowl and mix everything until every noodle is coated in that gorgeous red color. By the time you’re done, it will be looking like something they’d charge you for at a restaurant.

Divide that into two separate bowls if you’re eating with company and top it with sliced green onions, sesame seeds and whatever else you got in the fridge. We personally recommend soft boiled eggs here, they’re divine.

Make it Your Own

Like we said before, part of what makes noodles so beautiful is their flexibility. You can have them any time of the day (yes, even for breakfast) – Be it with hot chili sauce like we taught here or even over avocado toast with a fried egg on top.

You can bulk them up with protein, or whatever veggies are left in the fridge. An internet favorite is dicing up a rotisserie chicken, or anything that can soak up all that flavor. 

Lastly, if you don’t like spicy food, there’s no reason to miss out either, as Hotgirlsauce is mild and balanced in heat – and a little bit of really goes a long way in turning a struggle meal into a comfort one. And they offer different levels of spiciness for different tastes. Just go with what you love.

If you’d like to try it out for yourself, go to https://thehotgirlsauce.com/