Vietnamese Stir-Fried Pasta with Beef (Nui Xào Bò)

Ingredients

• 12 oz gemelli or fusilli pasta (Cavatappi, casarecce, or rice pasta may be substituted)
• 1 lb beef sirloin steak (Trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain)
• 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil (Divided)
• 4 cloves garlic (Finely chopped or grated)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (Finely grated)
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (For the sauce)
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce (For the sauce)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar (Balances the savory sauce)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (Plus more to taste)
• 4 scallions (Thinly sliced; white and green portions separated if desired)
• Sriracha (For serving, to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot of well-salted water to a boil. While it heats, thinly slice the beef against the grain and prepare the garlic, ginger, scallions, and sauce ingredients.

2. 2

   Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente according to the package directions. The pasta should still have a little firmness because it will finish cooking during the stir-fry.

3. 3

   Before draining, reserve about 1½ cups of the seasoned pasta water. Drain the pasta thoroughly and set it aside; do not rinse it, since its surface starch helps the sauce cling.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and black pepper until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

5. 5

   Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil shimmers, add the sliced beef in a single layer, working in batches if necessary so the meat sears rather than steams.

6. 6

   Cook the beef for about 2 minutes per side, until browned on the outside and still slightly underdone in the center. Transfer it to a plate and set aside.

7. 7

   Add the remaining oil to the pot. Add the garlic, ginger, and the white portions of the scallions, if separated, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.

8. 8

   Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss to coat it with the aromatics and oil. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing some pasta edges to lightly brown.

9. 9

   Pour in the soy-and-oyster sauce mixture and add about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss continuously until the sauce coats the pasta and the noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes.

10. 10

    Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, adding more reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the mixture looks dry, until the beef is cooked to the desired doneness and the sauce is glossy.

11. 11

    Remove the pot from the heat. Fold in the sliced green scallions, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately with Sriracha.

Notes

The source states that reserving pasta water is important because the starchy, seasoned water helps the soy mixture coat and moisten the noodles. The page lists a 50-minute cook time and makes 4–6 servings, but the full ingredient list and official directions were behind a membership prompt; quantities and some technique details here are reconstructed estimates rather than verified author-provided data.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stir-fried
• Vietnamese-inspired
• beef
• pasta
• one-pot
• East-meets-West
• spicy optional