Garlic Butter Noodles with Caramelized Shallots
Updated Nov 14, 2025, Published on Apr 27, 2023
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This Garlic Butter Noodles recipe is inspired by a recipe from "The Wok" by J. Kenji López-Alt for San Francisco-Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles. The first time I made his recipe, I was BLOWN away with how addicting and full of umami the dish was. I decided to adapt the recipe and add even MORE umami (if that's even possible!).
This recipe has a WHOLE head of garlic - so garlic lovers will love this dish!
Looking for more caramelized shallot recipes? Try my Caramelized Shallot Dip next.
Recipe Details
San Francisco-style Vietnamese garlic butter noodles are a variation of the traditional San Francisco garlic butter noodles that incorporates Vietnamese flavors and ingredients. This dish is a fusion of Italian and Vietnamese cuisine.
This recipe starts by making a pan of ultra-flavorful caramelized shallots.
Caramelized shallots are made by slowly cooking thinly sliced shallots until they become deeply browned and caramelized. Shallots are a member of the onion family and have a milder and sweeter taste than regular onions.
To caramelize the shallots, I sliced thinly and cooked in a mixture of butter and oil over low to medium heat for around 30 minutes. The heat is kept low to avoid burning the shallots, and I stirred frequently to ensure even cooking. I added a few splashed of water several times as the pan started to dry out. This prevents the shallots from burning.
As the shallots cook, their natural sugars start to break down and caramelize, resulting in a sweet and savory flavor with a deep brown color. I deglazed at the end with a splash of Sherry to not miss out on any flavor from the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Plus the Sherry adds another layer of flavor.
Next, I cooked the pasta in a wide shallow pan as Kenji recommends in his recipe.
Finally, the sauce comes together really quickly in a Wok. Just toss the pasta into the sauce with parmesan cheese and pasta water and stir vigorously to create a creamy sauce! Mix in those flavorful caramelized shallots and top with green onions and Sambal.
Garlic Butter Noodles Ingredients
Caramelized Shallots
Other Pasta Ingredients
- 1 head Garlic - yes, a whole head!
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes optional; more or less based on spice preference
- 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Fish Sauce
- 8 oz Bucatini - you can use any long pasta shape you like BUT I highly recommend Bucatini. It's thicker than spaghetti with more texture. The inside is hollow. This shape adds such a nice chew that pairs perfectly with the flavorful sauce.
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese- freshly grated is always best! I use my Microplane Grater to make it really easy to freshly grate cheese
- 1 tbsp Sambal Chili Crunch I highly recommend Homiah! I am obsessed with this stuff!
- 1 Green Onion
Garlic Butter Noodles Instructions
Caramelized Shallots
- Heat olive oil and butter in a medium stainless steel pan or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallots and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine
- Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized. Add a few splashes of water as needed if the shallots start to burn.
- Once caramelized, add the Sherry to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any stuck bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Other Pasta Instructions
- Meanwhile, melt the other 2 tbsp of butter in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir to combine with the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Bring 1.5 inches of water to a boil in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan over high heat. Add the pasta, and cook about a minute less than package instructions. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
- Transfer the pasta directly to the garlic and sauce mixture, bringing any pasta water that comes along with it.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the grated cheese. Stir vigorously to form a creamy sauce. Add additional pasta water as needed to form the sauce.
- Mix in the prepared caramelized shallots until well combined. Serve right away with thinly sliced green onions and Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch.
Garlic Butter Noodles with Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
Caramelized Shallots
- 5 Shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Sherry
- 1 pinch Kosher Salt
Other Pasta Ingredients
- 1 head Garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional; more or less based on spice preference
- 2 teaspoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
- 8 oz Bucatini, or any long pasta shape; reserve pasta water
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch, I highly recommend Homiah
- 1 Green Onion, thinly sliced; dark green top section only
Instructions
Caramelized Shallots
- Heat olive oil and butter in a medium stainless steel pan or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced shallots and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine
- Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized. Add a few splashes of water as needed if the shallots start to burn.
- Once caramelized, add the Sherry to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any stuck bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Other Pasta Instructions
- Meanwhile, melt the other 2 tbsp of butter in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir to combine with the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Bring 1.5 inches of water to a boil in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan over high heat. Add the pasta, and cook about a minute less than package instructions. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
- Transfer the pasta directly to the garlic and sauce mixture, bringing any pasta water that comes along with it.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the grated cheese. Stir vigorously to form a creamy sauce. Add additional pasta water as needed to form the sauce.
- Mix in the prepared caramelized shallots until well combined. Serve right away with thinly sliced green onions and Homiah Sambal Chili Crunch.
- Mix in the prepared caramelized shallots until well combined. Serve right away with thinly sliced green onions and chili crunch.
Video
@carolbeecooks If you only cook once this week, PLEASE make these Garlic Butter Noodles with Caramelized Shallots 🥢#garlicbutternoodles #noodles #pasta #garlicnoodles
♬ Hey Lover - The Daughters Of Eve
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Had this WITH the Homiah Chili crunch and WOW. So Good! Super simple and complex at the same time. Loved!