Egg noodles substitutes

Italian ribbon pasta made with eggs, which means it is essentially the same product cut a little differently and rolled from harder wheat.

Best for

beef stroganoff, goulash, Sauerbraten, chicken and gravy, buttered noodles

The closest thing you can buy. It has the same eggy richness and the same broad ribbon shape. Because it is usually durum wheat it cooks a touch firmer and chewier, so a stroganoff made with tagliatelle feels toothier and the sauce clings a little less. Cook it a minute or two past the package's al dente to match the softness of a German or American egg noodle.

Ordinary semolina ribbon pasta, the same width and roughly the same cook time, available in every shop.

Best for

stroganoff, goulash, chicken soup, casseroles, buttered noodles

Right shape, no egg. The difference you will notice is that it is leaner and springier, and the sauce sits on the surface rather than soaking in. Two fixes help a lot: drain it a minute early and finish it in the sauce for a minute so it absorbs some liquid, and stir in a tablespoon of butter or sour cream per serving to add the fat the egg would have brought.

Very wide pasta, or plain lasagna sheets sliced into half-inch strips with a knife, which is a legitimate old trick for making broad noodles out of what is in the cupboard.

Best for

goulash, Sauerbraten, beef in gravy, mushroom sauces, rustic braises

Excellent for broad-noodle dishes because the wide ribbons carry gravy well, and many pappardelle brands are made with egg. Wide ribbons want more room and more stirring in the first minute or they stick together in sheets. The pieces feel more substantial and slightly chewier than a soft egg noodle.

Soft German or Polish egg dumplings, made from a loose batter of flour, egg and milk, which do the same job of soaking up gravy and are even eggier than egg noodles.

Best for

goulash, Sauerbraten, schnitzel with gravy, beef braises, chicken paprikash

The same food family, taken further in the same direction. They hold gravy beautifully and taste richer. The dish becomes noticeably more dumpling-forward and starchier, and because they are denser than noodles a full-volume portion feels heavy, so cut it back by about a quarter. Brown them in butter afterwards for the best version.

Small pasta shapes for the specific case where the egg noodles were going into a soup rather than under a sauce.

Best for

chicken noodle soup, beef and vegetable soup, brothy dishes

A genuine improvement in one respect: small firm shapes hold up in leftovers where egg noodles go soft and slimy overnight. What you lose is the silky ribbon texture that makes chicken noodle soup comforting, and the soup reads more like a pasta soup. Use less by weight because these shapes swell more in broth.

Flat rice stick noodles of the kind used for pad thai, soaked or briefly boiled, for anyone avoiding wheat.

Best for

gluten-free stroganoff, goulash, soups, buttered noodles

The softness and slipperiness are closer than you would expect, and they take sauce reasonably well. There is no egg richness and no wheat flavour, so the dish tastes lighter and slightly sweeter, and they turn gummy and stick together in leftovers. Rinse them after cooking and toss with a little butter or oil before saucing.