All The Pancit Recipes You Can Make

Italian pasta may have a foothold in our hearts as one of our favorite kinds of food. There is something definitely addictive and appetizing about pasta recipes that make these dishes so universally loved. Whether you are a fan of the simple pasta dishes that are tossed with a few ingredients to the complex-flavored pasta sauces that need hours to simmer to develop the flavors you love, pasta is a dish that you can find in many cultures, not just in Italy. 

Locally, our version of the pasta is the pancit. Just like Italian pasta, our pancit varies in thicknesses and can be made from other ingredients other than the usual egg and wheat flour. Pancit canton may be the most common kind of pancit that you know but there are also a few others that are just as common. These include: 

• • pancit bihon
• • pancit sotanghon
• • pancit palabok 

The different kinds of pancit are just varied as the region that it's found in. Adobo recipes are just as varied from one region of the country as another, and this is true for pancit recipes as well. There are some pancit kinds that are just as common in one area that it's the norm. For the outsiders, it's the unique version that they just have to sample with their own taste buds! 

Whether you're looking to make these pancit recipes for a special occasion or just need a simple yet flavorful meal to satisfy a craving, you can find pancit to be a staple all around the country. 

If you want to sample pancit recipes, you need to know about the different kinds you can find. Here are pancit recipes you need to know about: 

Photo by Majoy Siason

1 Pancit Canton Recipes

The pancit canton is probably the most common kind of Asian stir-fried noodle dish in the country. It's an egg noodle and it can come fresh as well as dry. The dish is super flavorful and loaded with all the ingredients that make it into the classic noodle dish.

Try it with the classic pork and veggie ingredients or try it with the unique toppings that make it more appetizing. You can even enjoy it with just vegetables providing the umami or make it more familiar tossed with your favorite ulam dish. 

Photo by Riell Santos

2 Pancit Bihon Recipes 

Bihon can be the perfect substitute for a meal with rice. What makes pancit bihon a substitute is that it's a rice noodle. Just like the canton, this noodle dish is easy to make with easy-to-find ingredients. This makes it applicable to be tossed with any number of ulam flavors. The usual flavorings are courtesy of the meaty stock or broth that is absorbed by the noodles that soften it but it can also be a unique sauce that you introduce to it. 

Try the unique squid ink version to see how unique and ultra-modern the humble bihon can be. 

Photo by At Maculangan

3 Pancit Sotanghon Recipe 

Sotanghon are also known as cellophane or glass noodles because of the transparent quality of the silky noodles once cooked. It looks like bihon but unlike bihon, it's not made of rice. It's commonly made with either cornstarch or mung bean (monggo) flour. This is what gives these noodles the ability to swim in soupy dishes without turning into mush that is common with noodles made with wheat flour.

Let the soup be part of the overall dish. It's fantastic in a peppery chicken soup or feel free to get creative with the noodles by adding it to soupy beef dishes. 

Photo by Riell Santos

4 Pancit Palabok and Malabon Recipes 

The palabok and the Malabon version of the pancit are unique recipes that are also quite similar to each other. Both are made with a sauce that's tinged orange from the atsuete or annatto oil. The sauce of the palabok that coats the thin noodles is a delicious combination of shrimp, ground pork, and squid. It is common to see this topped with even more flavorful ingredients. This makes it perfect for parties! 

The Malabon is similar to the palabok but the big difference is the pancit bihon noodles are made thicker than normal. The sauce is similar to that of the pancit palabok too but is made even richer with crab fat or aligue. Try both versions and see if you prefer one over the other (or both!). 

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Thinking about what to cook next? Join our Facebook group, Yummy Pinoy Cooking Club, to get more recipe ideas, share your own dishes, and find out what the rest of the community are making and eating!

Got your own version of the classic dishes? Pa-share naman! Get your recipe published on Yummy.ph by submitting your recipe here.