It’s time to twirl and slurp bowls of pasta, ramen, spaetzle, lo mein, and more with 125 recipes for noodles from around the world, from the James Beard Award-winning team at Milk Street.

Nearly every culture serves some sort of noodle, from fettuccine, ramen and spaetzle, to lo mein, gnocchi and udon. So we traveled the world to learn the secrets to the best pad Thai, Italian ragu, spicy North African couscous and buttery Turkish noodles flecked with feta.

• In Italy, we were taught the real fettuccine Alfredo—so much lighter, simpler and more satisfying than what we knew.
• In Sapporo, Japan, we learned how to develop the deep umami flavors of miso ramen with minimal time and effort.
• And from Ho Chi Minh City to Lima, we learned the art of the quick noodle stir-fry, from Vietnamese shrimp noodles to Peruvian chicken and pasta

The world of noodles also includes cool salads, steaming soups, plump dumplings and bowls of well-sauced shapes of all kind. Noodles are a perfect canvas for spring and summer vegetables, as well as hearty wintertime baked casseroles. And if speed is your need, try hoisin-ginger noodles or our cheesy one-pan cacio e pepe, both ready in 20 minutes.

We include guides to using the noodles you have on hand, and show how to make classic noodles from scratch—from homemade udon and hand-cut wheat noodles to fresh egg pasta, orecchiette and potato gnocchi.

What’s for dinner? Use your noodle.

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Spaghetti Puttanesca

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

We think of puttanesca as a saucy dish built on anchovies. But in Naples, where it originates, two varieties of briny olives and pungent capers, not anchovies, give the dish the bold savoriness that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes. We got a lesson in how to make it from Antonella Scala, who hosted pop-up dinners in her rooftop kitchen on the outskirts of modern Pompeii. We call for a generous amount of capers, which often are sold in small bottles or jars. When shopping, you will need to buy two 4-ounce bottles to get the ½ cup drained capers needed for this recipe. 

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

12 ounces spaghetti

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

½ cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped

½ cup (two 4-ounce bottles) drained capers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped

28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, 1 cup juices reserved, tomatoes crushed by hand into small pieces

1.2 cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped

1 ounce Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese, grated (½ cup), plus more to serve

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil, add 1½ teaspoons salt and the spaghetti, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of cooking water, then drain and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the garlic cloves, then cook, stirring often, until the garlic is light golden brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, remove and discard the garlic. Add the pepper flakes, both types of olives and the capers, then cook over medium-high, stirring, until the capers begin to brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the reserved tomato juice and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water; bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings lightly to the noodles; add more cooking water if needed. 

Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 3 minutes. Stir in the basil, cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Serve topped with additional cheese. 

Excerpted from MILK STREET NOODLES by Christopher Kimball. Copyright © 2023 by CPK Media, LLC. Photograph by Connie Miller of CB Creatives. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.