Perfect Pad Thai

Do you have a restaurant you love to dine at?  Have to stop at when you drive by?  I do.  Let me tell you about it.  This restaurant screams family. It’s clean, yet homey. It’s filled with small tables for families to gather around. The menu is built off of one primary food – pasta – never met a person who doesn’t love some sort of pasta! The music is low and the dining room is bright, filled with windows letting in the sunlight. The shelves in the kitchen are transparent with ingredients that will soon be used in meals. (I love when restaurants aren’t afraid to show their ingredients.) And the food. The food is what I would want every day if I could have it. I wonder if the employees ever tire of eating their own menu.

Do you know where I am?  Noodles & Company.

Ask my friend , Jessica, and she will tell you it’s my absolute fav. We have stopped there regularly after our annual trip to Hearts at Home (a weekend conference that’s like going to mom school – it’s amazing!).

My favorite Noodles dishes have ranged from the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese…”a classic blend of cheddar and Jack cheeses, cream and elbow macaroni” to the Pesto Cavatappi…”curly pasta, basil pesto, garlic, mushrooms, tomato, wine, cream, parmesan and Italian parsley“…
and now the Pad Thai. Served with a hot piece of flatbread, slathered with melting butter of course.

Rice noodle stir-fry with scrambled egg, carrots, cabbage, sweet chili, citrus, peanuts, Asian sprouts and cilantro“. I love the crunch of all the vegetables along with the soft noodles wrapped sweet yet spicy sauce.

Each time I visit this restaurant, I take a menu home with me with the far-reaching goal of actually making something like they have on their menu. There’s no time like now! Step into my restaurant (minus the super cool robotic soda machine – hey, I have milk, grape juice, orange juice and soda in a can!).

Us Recipe ReDux blog party people are seizing the food trend of spice and smoke in food and posting our recipes with a healthy twist. Check out the links at the bottom of the post…for some great recipes. January’s theme? “The New Year is heating up with smoke and spice. Share your recipe that fits with this trend.” Enter Sriracha.

After a some research and a few tries in the kitchen along with inspiration from Melissa D’Arabian. I think I have figured out a pretty good replica of the Noodles & Company Pad Thai recipe. Something I can’t get enough of. And I can’t wait to share it with you.

Pad Thai Noodles & Company

Pad Thai

By Jen Haugen Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian
A quick and delicious replica of the Noodles & Company Pad Thai recipe. Break out the bowls and bring out the bread and gather the family around the table.
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the Sauce

  • 1/2 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons lime juice (bottled), use fresh if you have it
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha

For the Pad Thai

  • 12 ounces fettuccini or linguini, uncooked
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced
  • 3 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 cups vegetables (1/2 cup sliced cabbage, 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1 cup chopped broccoli)
  • Garnish: cilantro, sliced green onions, lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Pour boiling water over brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Stir together remaining sauce ingredients.
  • Cook noodles as directed on package.
  • In a wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon oil then add onions. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in garlic. Cook 30 seconds. Add eggs and stir frequently until cooked thoroughly. Remove all from pan.
  • Add remaining one tablespoon oil to pan and stir-fry vegetables until crisp, yet tender. Add half of sauce mixture and reduce slightly – 1-3 minutes, adding more sauce if needed based on desired moisture in the dish. Stir in noodles, cooked egg mixture and serve immediately in bowls. Garnish as desired.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what dish do you want to recreate at home?

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5 Comments

  1. Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen on January 22, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    I’ve never tried to make my own pad thai before .. now I have a go-to recipe when I want to try it!

    • Jen on January 22, 2015 at 9:20 pm

      Thanks Julie! I hope you try it, its luke restaurant fare at home!

  2. Jessica @ Nutritioulicious on January 27, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    I’ve tried to replicate pad thai a few times, but can never get the flavor just right. Going to give yours a try! Looks fab!

  3. […] School Nutrition RD and Chief Blogger at Down-to-Earth Dietitian, sent me a photo and link to her Perfect Pad Thai recipe made me smile.   Jen and I met a few years ago–I honestly can’t exactly remember […]

  4. Vaughn on December 22, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    I work at noodles and company, and Pad Thai is my favorite dish there. I found this recipe and just attempted it. It is so identical to what we serve, I give it 9/10. Whole family loved it.
    I would change a few minor things.
    -use 12 oz rice noodles
    -include chopped peanuts as a garnish, this is critical for the flavor.
    I included those two things and it was delicious.

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