One of my favorite pocket recipes! Bagged noodles for convenience, butter for cream, honey for sweetness, and sesame oil for depth. Just happy little notes!

These noodles will stay in my back pocket forever.

The first time I made this, I was waiting for sushi delivery.

Bjork’s working out, the girls are in bed, the sushi hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m hungry. So I rummaged through the pantry and found a packet of Momofuku noodles—apparently, they were delicious, but there was a certain sweetness that my taste buds had been missing.

So I made the noodles as directed, then added a dollop of butter for creaminess, a bit of honey for sweetness, and a dash of sesame oil for texture. Then I ate a whole packet straight from the pan, hot, smooth, and delicious. Cash. That’s all good.

Now, I use these noodles as a bento for lunch or dinner, or, to be honest, just as a really good snack that I make a few times a month.

When I’m not eating them as a ready snack, I like to put half a chopped salad in my bowl and maybe a runny egg if I’m craving it.

You can always add some freshly ground black pepper or a clove of freshly ground garlic to plump them up. That said, I really like them. They are just the joy of minimal and neat clutter.

Make noodles with me

1. Cook noodles.

My favorite is the Momofuku spicy soy sauce noodles I bought at Target, but there are many similar varieties. We cook the noodles and add sauce.

2. Add the seasoning packet.

Boop! Here comes the sauce bag.

3. Add butter, sesame oil and honey.

Now comes the extra stuff that makes it unique. I never measured it – just a knob of butter, a little honey, and a little sesame oil. Then, turn it over with tongs and add a little water if it’s too sticky.

4. You’ve done it! Yum!

Top with chili, sesame, or other spicy dressing, and add some scallions for a delicious lunch, dinner, or snack.

1. Make the noodles: Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, including adding small sauce packets.
2. When ready, gently stir the hot noodles with the butter, honey, and sesame oil. Taste and adjust to your liking. It should be silky when it’s hot, but the longer it cooks, the stickier it gets. If it’s too sticky, add a little warm water to loosen it up so it emulsifies and becomes creamy. It’s perfect.
3. Finished and served: Finish with chili flakes, scallions, or some sesame or spicy sprinkles! This is ideal for a small snack, or you can make it a more complete meal with fried eggs and salad. Or ground chicken. Or shrimp. It’s the kind of thing that goes well with anything.