Creamy Ancho Chile Thai Noodles

One of my favorite things to eat when we go out is Thai food. I find myself craving creamy noodles I always order. So, I decided to recreate creamy noodles at home and have been enjoying them at home for a few months now with a few twists that incorporates a some of my favorite flavors.

A creamy coconut-peanut sauce is the base of this dish, which I adore, but I wanted a bolder flavor profile to pair with the shredded cabbage and carrots. My first thought was to use chipotle chiles in adobo sauce since they add an incredible richness to any dish, the only downside is that my youngest is not a fan of chipotles – at all. So, I decide ancho chiles was the way to go.

I used dried ancho chiles that I first toasted over a warm comal. Toasting chiles helps to bring out their delicious smokiness, infusing your recipe with a depth of flavor. Preheat your comal, before adding the chiles. You can toast chiles whole, or you can remove the seeds and membrane before toasting them. Toast a few minutes on each side. The chile will puff slightly and release their natural oils. Once the the chiles are toasted on each side, remove them from the comal, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow the chiles to steep in hot water for a few minutes to soften them. Remove the seeds and membrane before adding to your blender.

For the sauce, it doesn’t get any easier than adding all the ingredients to your blender and then a few whirls and you are ready to add to the hot pasta. Coconut milk, chile anchos, soy sauce and Cacique Crema, are needed to make this sauce. I always have Cacique crema in my fridge. It is the perfect addition to my dishes when I want a punch of tangy goodness.