Red Curry Udon with Spinach & Peanuts

Notes

• The whole thing is a wok and a pot of water. Curry paste is the only seasoning doing real work, so taste after the first toss and add more if it's flat.
• Shelf-stable vacuum-packed udon or frozen (unthawed) both work. Dried noodles instead: about 285 g (10 oz).
• Vegan as written if your curry paste has no shrimp paste — check the jar.
• Image: NYT Cooking's photo for the recipe, from their Instagram post. Theirs, not ours.

Ingredients

• 800 g (28 oz) udon noodles, shelf-stable vacuum-sealed or frozen
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado)
• 1 red or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste, more to taste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 140 g (5 oz) spinach, about 5 cups
• 2 limes — one halved, one cut into wedges
• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided
• 4 scallions, white and green thinly sliced (about 1¼ cups), divided
• ½ cup (60 g) roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• Salt

Instructions

1. Boil a big pot of salted water. Cook the udon per the pack until the strands separate, loosening them with tongs or chopsticks. Drain, rinse well under cold water, drain again.
2. Get a wok or large skillet properly hot over medium-high, 1–2 minutes. Add the oil and the onion and stir until it softens and starts to colour, 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the noodles (a quick rinse if they've clumped), the curry paste and the soy sauce. Toss until everything's coated. Taste — if it needs more curry paste, now's the time.
4. Add the spinach a handful at a time, tossing constantly, letting each batch collapse before the next. 2–3 minutes until it's all wilted.
5. Off the heat: juice the halved lime over the noodles, add half the cilantro and half the scallions, toss. Salt to taste.
6. Four bowls. Scatter the peanuts, the rest of the scallions and cilantro over the top. Lime wedges on the side.