My Asian style macaroni is magical comfort food. Packed with aromatics and herbs – but simple enough that kids will ask for seconds. I use soy sauce, sake and sriracha to elevate my easy beefy macaroni with plenty of savory heat. Make a big pot. It goes quick!
When I was in college, my dorm-room specialty was macaroni with ground beef and soy sauce. I thought I had created a very special recipe (adding soy sauce to pasta? I’m so brilliant!) until a couple other girls told me Asian style macaroni was part of their college diet too. It made sense though. Ground beef, pasta and soy sauce are all relatively cheap – and a big batch used to last me a week. As I got older and started trying things like Japanese ramen and Korean tteokbokki, I made it less often. But I’ve never lost my taste for umami, beefy pasta… I’ve just improved upon it.
My grown up version has a lot more in the way of aromatics and herbs. And a bit of fresh ginger and sriracha introduces a shimmering heat to the mix. I’ve transitioned to using vegan ground meat personally, but this recipe works with ground beef, chicken, minced mushrooms or textured vegetable protein. There aren’t many recipes I can say I’ve been perfecting for the past few decades. But this is definitely one of them!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This
Beefy Asian style macaroni was one of the first things I truly missed when I stopped eating meat. But it works just as well with vegan ground as it does with the real stuff. The dish is umami and slightly spicy with an herbaceous undertone. Plus it’s a recipe I can serve to my picky niece just as easily as I can my ravenous husband. Leftovers keep well – and taste just as good 4 days later.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Elbow Macaroni: Cook al dente – but don’t rinse the pasta after draining it!
- Ground Beef: I prefer 90/10 lean.
- Onion, Garlic, Celery and Fresh Ginger. I make sure to dice these aromatics quite small so they perfume every bite.
- Olive Oil and Butter: I use extra virgin olive oil to cook the aromatics. The butter is used later to coat the cooked pasta. While the butter is delicious, it’s optional.
- Soy Sauce, Sriracha and Sake: This forms my sauce. It’s umami and spicy. Just a tablespoon of cooking sake elevates the entire dish with a pleasantly dry sharpness. Consider the sake an optional upgrade.
- Flat leaf parsley. So herbaceous. I chop this and add it at the end.
Variations
Switch proteins. Plug and play options include ground chicken, TVP, vegan ground – or even diced mushrooms like I use in my vegan dan dan noodles and mapo tofu.
Make it spicier. My husband adds chopped Thai chilis to his portion (but he’s a true fire breather).
Go mild. Just omit the sriracha and use half of the grated ginger.
How to Make It
- Boil and drain the macaroni. Follow the pasta package timing instructions for al dente.
- Cook the aromatics in a pan with olive oil until soft, but still yielding a mild crunch.
- Add the ground beef. Stir until cooked through.
- Combine the butter, pasta, meat and liquid seasonings. I use the large pot I cooked the pasta in (fewer dishes to wash). Mix everything well. Add chopped parsley, mix a final time and serve hot.
Expert Tip
Don’t rinse the cooked pasta. As the pasta cooks it releases starch into the cooking water. That starch coats the outer portion of the macaroni and helps the sauce stick to the cooked pasta. Rinsing the cooked pasta in cold water stops the cooking process, but it also washes off that precious layer of starch – meaning the sauce has nothing to stick to. Therefore I cook my pasta just short of al dente, drain it, and let it finish cooking in the big pot as I mix in my sauce, beef and vegetables.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 5 days. This recipe keeps very well in the fridge.
Or freeze leftovers in single serving containers for up to 3 months. Be sure to write a use-by-date on the containers.
Reheat in the microwave until cooked through. Add freshly chopped flat leaf parsley and a dash of soy sauce (if needed) before serving.
What I Serve With Asian Style Macaroni
Since this is proper comfort food, I usually opt for lighter sides like a green salad with Japanese carrot ginger dressing – or umami miso dressing. When I’m going all out, here are some of my favorite side dishes to serve alongside Asian pasta.
- Nasu Dengaku – Miso Glazed Eggplant
- Edamame with Soy and Sesame Sauce
- Bok Choy Stir Fry
- Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
- Korean Cucumber Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
If it’s mushy, it’s probably overcooked. Pasta continues to cook even after it’s been drained. Plus, it’s going back into a hot pot for the final mix. For this recipe, I cook my pasta just short of al dente – and finish cooking it in the pot as I mix in the liquid seasonings, meat and aromatics.
Yes! Just use your favorite vegan ground meat stand in instead of the beef. And omit the butter – or use vegan butter.
The only overtly spicy ingredient is the sriracha. If you’re spice averse, just leave it out. If part of the family likes spicy food and the other part doesn’t, keep a bottle on the side and everyone can add it to their own portion. Since my husband must be part dragon, we do this at my place all the time.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below.
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Asian Style Macaroni with Sriracha and Soy Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American / Asian
Description
I use soy sauce, sake and sriracha for savory heat. My fragrant Asian style macaroni is hot and ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 pound lean ground beef, vegan ground meat, or finely chopped mushrooms
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 thumb size fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, or vegan butter
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or more if you prefer spicy)
- 1 tablespoon sake (optional)
- handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Boil and drain the macaroni. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the elbow macaroni until al dente (usually 6-7 minutes). Drain but DO NOT rinse.
- Cook the aromatics. In a large pan over high heat add the olive oil, garlic, ginger, celery and onions, and cook for 5 minutes, until veggies are soft.
- Add the meat or meat substitute. Add ground beef, break the meat apart and cook for about 5 minutes, until meat has cooked through.
- Combine butter, pasta, meat and seasonings. Use the same pot you cooked your pasta in (this saves dishes!), add butter and turn the heat on low. Then add the macaroni – and pour the ground beef mixture over the top. Mix and add soy sauce, sriracha, sake and parsley. Mix well until macaroni is well coated and serve.
Notes
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, covered. Reheat in the microwave. Top leftovers with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 687
- Sugar: 1.2g
- Sodium: 1305mg
- Fat: 17.5g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 88.5g
- Fiber: 5.5g
- Protein: 41.8g
- Cholesterol: 83.1mg
