Dan Dan Noodles
Hot, spicy, and satisfying, this streamlined version of the classic Sichuan dish will take the chill off any evening. It’s traditionally made with fresh noodles; but by cooking dried spaghetti right in the sauce, the flavors meld into some cross between a pasta casserole and a Chinese classic. Have lots of beer on hand!
Servings Prep Time
4servings 5minutes
Cook Time
16minutes
Servings Prep Time
4servings 5minutes
Cook Time
16minutes
Ingredients
  • 2tbsp peanut oil(or vegetable, corn, or canola oil)
  • 1lb lean ground pork
  • 6medium scallionstrimmed and thinly sliced
  • 2tbsp sambal oelek or a hot red pepper sauce such as Srirachaor less
  • 3medium garlic clovespeeled and minced (1 tablespoon)
  • 1tbsp peeled fresh gingerminced
  • 1/4cup tahini
  • 1/4cup soy sauce
  • 3tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2tbsp honey
  • 2tbsp dry sherry, dry vermouth, or water
  • 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2cups chicken broth
  • 8 ounces dried spaghettibroken in half
Instructions
  1. Press Saute, set time for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in the cooker for a minute or two. Crumble in the pork and cook, stirring often and breaking up any clumps, until gray but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the scallions, sambal oelek or hot sauce, garlic, and ginger. Cook until aromatic, just a few seconds.
  3. Add the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sherry (or its substitutes), and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well until the tahini is uniform in the mixture, then stir in the broth. Turn off the SAUTE function, add the spaghetti, and submerge the noodles in the sauce without their touching the bottom of the insert. Lock the lid onto the pot.
  4. Optional 1 Max Pressure Cooker
    Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 4 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  5. Optional 2 All Pressure Cookers
    Press Pressure cook (Manual) on High pressure for 6 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  6. Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir well before serving.
Recipe Notes

Beyond
• You must halve the recipe for a 3-quart cooker.
• To make the flavor more authentic and less like sesame noodles, substitute sunflower seed butter for the tahini. Or skip the fancy stuff and use natural-style creamy peanut butter.
• To be more authentic, you can also substitute ¼ cup Chinese black vinegar for the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
• And substitute Shaoxing (a Chinese rice wine) for the sherry, vermouth, or water.
• Finally, use roasted Chinese chiles in oil, particularly Laoganma Spicy Chili Crisp Sauce, instead of the sambal oelek or hot sauce.