Spicy Ground Pork and Broccoli Noodles – Recipe!

If there’s one thing I thoroughly enjoy, it’s spicy food.  I guess it’s probably because of my upbringing in Southern California and my exposure to hot sauce on Mexican food.  Did I ever tell you about how I drank a bottle of Tabasco as a kid? That’s another story.  However, spicy food is in most cuisines and especially Asian inspired dishes like this one.  These spicy ground pork and broccoli noodles not only have a bit of heat, but they have true depth of flavor from just a few pantry ingredients, and you can control the spiciness with the addition or not, of chili paste.

I love a good skillet meal, and this one is made in one pan, except for boiling the noodles, and it’s done in a matter of minutes.  I used regular Italian thin spaghetti, but you can get fancy and use Chinese rice noodles, or gluten-free pasta, if you need to.  The chili paste I used was Calabrian, but Sambal or red pepper flakes will do the trick.  Just know your palate and incorporate the heat as needed for your enjoyment.  The results are a marvelous bowl of hardy noodles with just the right kick and texture to satisfy that hunger of quality Asian food.

Ingredients

12 ounces thin spaghetti – regular, gluten-free or Chinese rice

1 pound ground pork

1 white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 soy sauce, any variety

1 heaping teaspoon chili paste, 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes + more for top (optional)

1/4 cup sesame oil

2 cups broccoli florets

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. Boil noodles in a large pot of salted water, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add pork and cook while breaking apart with wooden spoon, about 4 minutes.
3. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook for 3 minutes.  Make a well in center and add soy sauce, chili paste and sesame oil, stir to incorporate into pork.
4. Add broccoli and cover skillet with lid for 2 minutes.  Remove and add cooked pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water.
5. Toss, toss and toss again to coat all noodles in sauce.  Add remaining pasta water to loosen, if needed.  Pour into serving bowl and dot with more chili paste, if desired.  Enjoy!