Taiwanese pumpkin rice noodles

These Taiwanese pumpkin rice noodles are a fast and flavorful one pan meal. With a tasty combination of ingredients, it's a meal perfect for any night of the week. 

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As you might have seen, I have taken part in Pumpkinweek the last couple of years since I came across it as pumpkin is definitely a favorite in our house. In fact right when I started this blog my first ever recipe included pumpkin (pumpkin broccoli soup – still one I really like!).

Pumpkin around the world

In the pumpkin recipes I have shared, I have tried to make a mix of some less well known international dishes (like kaddo bowrani, Afghan pumpkin and pumpkin empanadas) as well as twists on more common dishes (like pumpkin pasta) and more ‘typical’ pumpkin ideas (like pumpkin scones).

This year I knew I wanted to make the pumpkin ravioli we had so enjoyed earlier in the year in Italy, but I also felt like digging around for other international dishes. You see, I imagine many people associate pumpkin with the US, but actually it features in many cultures.

True, the variety may be a little different sometimes, and it might technically be squash in some, but most recipes still work with the pumpkin you are likely to be able to get hold of. This Taiwanese pumpkin rice noodles is a perfect example.

Discovering Taiwanese food

We visited Taiwan a number of years ago now and I really enjoyed the many dishes we tried (like Taiwanese oyster omelette and the dumplings I made at the cooking lesson I took). The night markets were a true feast for the senses with lots of tasty things to try, and watch being made.

We had some other tasty Taiwanese foods as part of conference dinners, but didn’t come across many Taiwanese restaurants. I imagine we just didn’t know where to look, but also I got the sense much is largely eaten at home, or at the markets, rather than served in restaurants.

Either way, it meant this wasn’t a dish I tried there but now I have made it at home, I can definitely see us enjoying it a bit more. It's a tasty combination of meat, veg and noodles with a simple, flavorful sauce. And cooked in one pan is never a bad thing either.

How to make Taiwanese pumpkin rice noodles

This dish comes together in a few easy steps:

• Pre-soak the rice noodles in boiling water;
• Chop your vegetables;
• Soften the onion and garlic;
• Add the pumpkin and pork and cook until pork is browned;
• Add the noodles, water and soy sauces, stir and cook a few minutes until pumpkin is tender.

About some of the ingredients...

On the whole, it uses pretty common ingredients but there are a couple you might be less familiar with. First is the noodles - you use thin rice noodles known as "maifun" for this. They are actually easier to find than you might think and I can get them in my local supermarket, or you can get maifun rice noodles online (affiliate link).

However if you can't find them, use the thinest noodles you can get, ideally rice noodles, and pre-cook if they are thicker or need a longer cook then add at the same point.

The other more unusual ingredient is sweet soy sauce which I found in a local Asian supermarket. The Indonesian name is kecap manis. It is much thicker than 'regular' soy sauce and sweet, as the name says. It's more of a sauce or marinade and adds a lovely flavor to the dish.

If you can't kind it, something like black bean or plum sauce would be not too bad as an alternative, but it's worth trying to find.

These Taiwanese pumpkin rice noodles are an easy one pot meal with only a handful of ingredients. The longest part of the prep is soaking the noodles then it all comes together in no time. A delicious meal perfect for any night of the week.

Looking for more savory pumpkin recipes? Try these:

• Traditional Italian Pumpkin ravioli
• Less traditional but also delicious Pumpkin pasta
• Pumpkin broccoli soup
• Plus get more seasonal ideas in the fall recipes archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

Get more pumpkin inspiration:

Beverages:

Caramel Pumpkin Spice Latte from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Apple Cider from The Crumby Kitchen
The Great Pumpkin Cocktail from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Savory:

Pumpkin Quiche from Jonesin' For Taste
Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce from House of Nash Eats
Pumpkin Chili from The Chef Next Door
Pumpkin Carbonara from The Redhead Baker

Baked Goods & Desserts:

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes from April Golightly
Pumpkin Spice Popovers from Grumpy's Honeybunch
Chai Frosted Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Who Needs A Cape?
Pumpkin Pecan Pie Dump Cake from For the Love of Food
Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ebelskiver from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Chai Frosted Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Who Needs A Cape?
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sweet Beginnings
Pumpkin Pie Pull Apart Muffins from Daily Dish Recipes
Classic Pumpkin Roll from Cookaholic Wife
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from The Mandatory Mooch
Pumpkin Spice Latte Whoopie Pies from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Angel Food Cake from Love and Confections
Simple Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes from Cooking with Carlee

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Disclaimer: Thank you PumpkinWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, and Eggland’s Best for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for PumpkinWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.