Rice noodle dishes are some of the most popular at Asian restaurants—pad see ew, pad Thai, pho, and mei fun—but cooking them at home can be tricky if you’re not familiar with their quirks ...

But that is an Italian pasta, made with wheat rather than rice. Its round, thin strands may be similar in shape and size to some types of rice noodles but not in texture and flavor.

Remove from heat and add 12 oz. rice stick noodles (such as sen lek or sen yai). Let sit, stirring occasionally, until noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions.

It’s unlikely that you’ll over-soak rice noodles. If you go run an errand that takes 20 minutes longer than expected, your noodles will be fine. Drain them and they’re ready for stir frying ...