Pad Thai is a dish that’s usually eaten in Thai restaurants. It’s sometimes spelled Phat Thai or Phad Thai, and it is essentially a mixture of Thai rice noodles fried with meat or shrimp and vegetables in a delicious Asian sauce and topped with peanuts. My brother-in-law, Shawn, spent two years in Thailand on an LDS mission. One of his fellow missionaries later married a girl from there, and this is her recipe for Classic Pad Thai. It’s authentic, quite easy, and better than anything I’ve tasted in any restaurant. You can prep the ingredients while the noodles soak, and it can be ready to savor in 30-45 minutes.

You can vary the protein you use; I like chicken and shrimp best, but it’s good with pork or beef, too. The trick is making sure you soak the noodles until they are soft and to use a non-stick wok with enough oil that the noodles don’t stick and stay in one piece.

6 Servings

1/2 pound rice noodles
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, sliced thin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 pound raw shrimp, without tails
1/2 pound bean sprouts

1 tablespoon catsup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon shrimp paste, (in soya bean oil)
1 ounce chives, cut in 2-inch lengths or chopped green onions

1 lime, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon crushed red hot pepper

1. Soak rice noodles in warm water for 30 minutes (or until soft); drain and snip into 4" lengths.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan and sauté garlic until light brown.
3. Add chicken and egg; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes; add shrimp and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add rice noodles and half of the bean sprouts; mix well.
5. Push the noodle mixture to the side and add the catsup, soy sauce, peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, and shrimp paste; mix well, then stir into the noodle mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently so as not to break up the noodles.
6. Add chives and the remaining bean sprouts; mix well.
7. Garnish with chives, lime wedges, and red chile pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 398 Calories from Fat 148
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 37% Protein 25% Carb. 38%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 16 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 142 mg
Sodium 430 mg
Total Carbohydrate 37 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 25 g

Vitamin A 15% Vitamin C 23% Calcium 0% Iron 23%