the noodle master speaks!

We can’t help but love a movie dedicated to the love of noodles and broth in a bowl. The weather is turning colder, and scenes from the brilliant “noodle western” classic, Tampopo come to mind.

As you can see in this clip, the Japanese are SERIOUS about their noodles. Lucky for us, our Egg or Spinach Linguine are up to the task, but perhaps with a little less ceremony involved.

Tonight, with the smell of leaves and woodsmoke in the air here in Ann Arbor, I decided to whip up a batch of my own Japanese-style noodles using Al Dente Spinach Linguine. It holds up so well, remaining tender but firm in my homemade chicken broth…totally sating my craving. It’s also INCREDIBLY easy. If you have kids who need to whip up a quick and healthy meal, we have some tips for that as well.

Wendy’s Tampopo-inspired Noodle Bowl

a pound or so of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (roasted and slivered)

handful of shitake mushrooms (roasted and slivered)

a shake or two of herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)

salt & pepper

olive oil

half a bag of Al Dente Spinach Linguine

a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach (slivered)

Chicken stock (about a quart)

Roast the chicken thighs & mushrooms on a baking sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes

Instructions: Dress chicken thighs (whole) and mushrooms (whole) with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Roast in oven at 375 for about 20 minutes on a baking sheet. Then cool enough to handle. Sliver.

Cook Al Dente Spinach linguine in salted water for just under 3 minutes, Drain.

Heat chicken stock, then add slivered roasted mushrooms and chicken. Bring up to a boil, then simmer. Add noodles and slivered baby spinach. Serve it up in a bowl and be sure to thank and apologize to the chicken 😉

Slurp and enjoy! It would also benefit from a little float of roasted sesame oil on the top! The Japanese sometime also garnish with a poached or slow-cooked egg—udon style. Vegetarians might enjoy tofu and a Dashi broth with some slivered seaweed instead of the spinach.

Kid tips: (Sometimes I make extra noodles and chicken and bag them up to keep in the fridge to make another batch of this quickly if the mood strikes, which it often does this time of year.) Just boil some stock, add ingredients and noodles then reduce to a simmer and serve.

Japanese-style noodle bowl with Al Dente Spinach Linguine

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