We make this all the time and have done for years. It’s become one of those meals that just lives in the permanent rotation, where you don’t even really think about it anymore, you just make it. Rice noodles, crispy tofu, fresh vegetables, that sauce. Done. Everyone’s happy.
We love Thai food in general, which probably won’t surprise you if you spend any time on this blog. There’s a reason you’re going to find a lot of Thai-inspired recipes here, and that reason is partly that Thai cuisine is some of the most flavorful, vibrant, exciting food in the world, and partly that Luca was actually born in Thailand, which he like to think gives him some kind of right to make a decent pad thai. Whether or not that’s true is debatable. What’s not debatable is that this recipe is really good.
We also have a serious thing for peanuts. Chopped salted peanuts on top of a noodle dish is one of the best textural combinations there is, and the pad thai without them is technically still good but also kind of missing something?? Don’t skip the peanuts. Trust us.
The thing that makes this version a little different from a standard pad thai is the tofu. Instead of pan-frying it, we roast it in the oven until it’s properly golden and crispy on the outside, with a slightly chewy center. It takes a bit longer but the texture is totally worth it, and you can throw it in the oven and forget about it while you prep everything else. Much less stressful than babysitting tofu in a pan.
The sauce is simple but it does a lot of work. Lime juice, soy sauce, and maple syrup. That’s it. The lime brings brightness, the soy sauce brings that deep savory umami saltiness, and the maple syrup rounds everything out with just enough sweetness to balance it all. It sounds almost too simple but it comes together into something that tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did, which is the best kind of recipe.
The vegetables are flexible too. We use broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and green onions because that’s what we love in this dish, but pad thai is a pretty forgiving format. Whatever vegetables you have around will probably work. Bell peppers, snap peas, zucchini, bok choy. The sauce and the noodles do most of the heavy lifting so it’s hard to go wrong.
Make a big batch. It reheats really well the next day, which means lunch is already sorted, and that’s always a good feeling.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles for 5–6 minutes. Immediately drain and transfer them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave them soaking until you are ready to assemble the dish.
- Crisp the Tofu: Preheat your oven to 200°C. Toss the tofu cubes with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Arrange on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes (or until golden brown and crispy).
- Sauté the Vegetables: Sauté the broccoli florets in a pan with a little oil until tender. Remove and set aside. Sauté the mushrooms until browned. Remove and set aside. Sauté the julienned carrots and mung bean sprouts together until tender. Briefly sauté the green onions.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, and maple syrup until well combined.
- Assemble: In a large pot or wok, combine all the sautéed vegetables and the crispy tofu. Drain the noodles and add them to the pot.
- Finish: Pour the sauce over the mixture and toss everything together over low heat until well coated and heated through.
- Serve: Plate the pad thai and top generously with chopped salted peanuts and fresh cilantro
