Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles

Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Garlic Chips
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Some days you need a light lift, a gimme – a meal that you can make with half a brain and half an hour. And, in my experience, there is a disproportionate amount of those days in January. I find it so strange that we associate this month with fresh starts. It’s the darkest, coldest month of the year. Hibernation should reign supreme, not gym memberships and lofty career goals.  I will not be doing anything more than surviving and I invite you to join me. And today’s Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles will help you do just that. This dead simple sharp and tangy pasta dish delivers carb-tastic bliss in 30 minutes flat. 

Peeled garlic cloves on a cutting board.

Okay, let’s break these Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles down. This simple nosh features tender egg noodles, peas, and shallots tossed in a simple lemon yogurt sauce accented with fresh dill. The dish is finished with a sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs, garlic chips, and yet more dill. If you want to add a little protein to the proceedings, feel free to add a drained can of tuna or a tin of white or butter beans. And yes, the tuna will essentially turn this into a stovetop version of tuna casserole. Not that that’s a bad thing!

Garlic clove slices on a cutting board next to a mandolin.

The first thing we’re going to do is make the garlic chips and the breadcrumbs. Start by shaving a few garlic cloves on a mandolin. I like using a mandolin for this because it helps me ensure all my garlic pieces are the same thickness. This means they will all take roughly the same amount of time to cook. And speaking of which, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet until shimmering. Add your garlic slices and spread them out into an even layer. Once the garlic turns golden, quickly remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon. Move quickly, the garlic will go from perfect to burned faster than you think. Use a slotted spoon so you leave as much of the garlic-scented oil in the pan as possible. 

Halved shallots on a cutting board.

Now, let’s talk breadcrumbs. My breadcrumbs are made out of two potato dinner rolls. You can use whatever bit of bread you have lying around. Toast the bread and pop it in a food processor. Blitz until you have a fairly coarse crumb. Don’t strive for uniformity here, we want texture. Transfer the crumbs to the skillet and let them absorb the garlic oil. Toss around until the crumbs are golden and crisp. Transfer the toasted breadcrumbs to a plate and set them aside.

Toasted breadcrumbs in a large skillet.

Now, let’s tackle the actual dish. Place a large pot of water over high heat and cover.  While you’re waiting for the water to boil, wipe out the skillet you used to make the garlic chips and breadcrumbs. Add more oil to the pan and sauté some shallots sliced into half-moons. Do this over low heat, so the shallots have some time to sweat it out. To the shallots add some white wine and let simmer gently until reduced by half. 

Squeezing lemon juice into a skillet.
Adding yogurt and fresh dill to a large skillet.

Your water should be boiling by now. Liberally salt the water and add the egg noodles. Cook until the noodles are al dente. This should take about 10 minutes. And yes, if you don’t have egg noodles, you can use any type of pasta you fancy. I just adore egg noodles, they have such a springy mouthfeel.  For this dish, I purposely reached for tart and refreshing flavors. A hint of the season that’s to come when it feels like we couldn’t be farther away. And that springiness reinforces the light and bouncy flavor profile of this dish. Or at least it does in my head. This reasoning could sound a little nuts if you’re not a food obsessive. 

Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Garlic Chips

Add the juice of one lemon and some frozen peas to the simmering wine. Simmer for a minute more and then stir in a cup of Greek yogurt. From here on out you need to keep the temperature low, we don’t want to curdle the yogurt. Add heaps of fresh dill and the drained egg noodles. Retain a bit of the cooking liquid to help thicken the sauce if desired. I didn’t add any.

Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Garlic Chips

This is not a thick sauce as it is not roux-based. If you want a thicker sauce, you can certainly make a roux and slowly whisk in the wine and lemon juice before stirring in the yogurt. That was more trouble than I was willing to go through, so I didn’t and there wasn’t an excessive amount of sauce left in the pan. The sauce coated the pasta quite beautifully. Transfer the finished Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles to plates and garnish with the toasted breadcrumbs, garlic chips, and fresh dill. Serve immediately with a glass of white wine and pretend you can feel the sun on your face. 

And that’s everything you need to know about these Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles. It really can’t get easier than this. A low-effort dish with maximum flavor, how can you say no?

Enjoy!

Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Garlic Chips

Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles

These Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles feature tender egg noodles, peas, and shallots tossed in a simple lemon yogurt sauce accented with fresh dill. The dish is finished with a sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs, garlic chips, and extra dill.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 Large, deep skillet
  • 1 Food Processor
  • 1 mandolin
  • 1 Large pot

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced thin on a mandolin
  • 2 bread rolls toasted
  • 4 shallots sliced into half-moons
  • ¾ cup white wine
  • 340g (12oz) uncooked egg noodles
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • cups frozen peas
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
  • Additional fresh dill for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Heat half of the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering add the garlic and fry until golden. Remove the garlic using a slotted spoon and set aside.
    4 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic
  • Place the toasted buns in a food processor and blitz until crumbly. ** Add the crumbs to the skillet and toss to coat in the residual oil. Toast until crisp and golden. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
    2 bread rolls
  • Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Reduce the heat to low and add the shallots with a pinch of salt. Sauté until just translucent.
    4 shallots
  • Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. About 5-7 minutes.
    ¾ cup white wine
  • While the wine is simmering, place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Liberally salt the water and add the egg noodles. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
    340g (12oz) uncooked egg noodles
  • Once the wine is reduced, add the lemon juice and the peas. Simmer until the peas are heated through. Stir in the yogurt and dill and keep the temperature low. We don't want to bring the sauce to a boil at this point.
    1 lemon, 1½ cups frozen peas, 1 cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup fresh dill
  • Add the cooked egg noodles to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce. Divide the pasta across four plates and garnish with the toasted breadcrumbs, garlic chips, and additional fresh dill. Serve immediately.
    Additional fresh dill

Notes

** You don’t want the breadcrumbs to be completely uniform. A little contrast and texture is what we’re looking for. 
Keyword dill, egg noodles, Garlic, lemon, yogurt

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