This dish is naturally gluten free and probably one of Thailand’s better-known noodle dishes. It’s not a quick dish, but the reward at the end is a delicious, brightly flavored meal.

Serves 4

8 oz. (1/4 in) dried flat rice noodles

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup lime juice (I needed 4 limes)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (I used light)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

12 oz medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails and heads removed

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 large eggs, slightly beaten (I like eggs – add a third if you do too)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

6 oz. bean sprouts (approx 3 cups)

5 scallions, sliced thin on the bias

Lime wedges

Fresh cilantro leaves

Sriracha sauce

1. Cover noodles with VERY hot tap water in a large bowl and stir to separate. Let noodles soak until softened and limp but not fully tender. About 20 minutes. The noodles tend to stick together, you might need to pull them apart by hand. Drain. In separate bowl, whisk water, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons oil together. I let the noodles stand in the water until I was finished with the balance of the prep work.

2. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-in nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add shrimp in single layer and cook until they begin to brown. Stir until just pink around the edges, transfer to a bowl. Don’t overcook. The shrimp will continue to cook once removed.

3. Add remaining tablespoon oil and garlic to the empty skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 seconds. Stir in eggs and salt and cook, stirring vigorously, until eggs are scrambled.

4. Add drained noodles and fish sauce mixture. Increase heat to high and cook, tossing gently, until noodles are evenly coated. Add cooked shrimp, 1/4 peanuts, bean sprouts, and 3/4 of the scallions. Continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender. You might need to add a little more water to the pan. Noodles should be tender in under 5 minutes, so watch it.

5. Transfer noodles to serving platter and sprinkle with remaining peanuts and remaining scallions. Serve passing lime wedges, cilantro, and Sriracha separately.

I took the shrimp heads and dredged them in rice flour and fried them for about 5 minutes at 360 degrees using Canola oil. Personally, I love fried shrimp heads and the added crunch to this dish made me happy.