Simple Sesame Noodles

Simple Sesame Noodles

These simple sesame noodles are a cool and refreshing summer dish with a lot of sesame flavor. They are great on their own or served as a side with teriyaki kebabs or other Asian main dish.

I fell in love with this dish at pot-lucks and went searching for a a recipe online, looking for the perfect combination of flavor and simplicity. I tried some recipes which include tahini (a sesame paste) or peanut butter, and the texture is, in my opinion, a bit grainy and the flavor seems somewhat less direct.

In this  recipe,  the noodles are smooth and cool and taste even better after the first day. Adapted from Sweet Amandine,

• Soy Sauce - 6 Tblsp. (I use low sodium)
• Rice Vinegar - 6 Tblsp. - I used garlic flavored which had added sugar
• Sugar - 2 Tblsp - optional; use only if your rice vinegar doesn’t have any added
• Sesame Oil - 2 Tblsp.
• Asian Chili Sauce - 1/4 tsp. (optional)
• Toasted Sesame Seeds - 3 Tblsp. (I toasted my plain ones in a bit of sesame oil in a small fry pan.)
• Garlic - 6 cloves, minced finely
• Scallions - 10, sliced, including part of the green. (about 1/2 cup)
• Noodles/pasta - 16 oz. - any type will do, I use ordinary angel hair pasta.

1. In a large bowl, boil water and add pasta. Cook al dente, about 5 minutes (do not overcook.), drain and rinse briefly in cold water.
2. While the water is boiling, prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients except the pasta, and blend well. Yep, that’s it.
3. When the pasta is ready, add it to a large bowl.
4. Pour the sesame sauce over the noodles and mix well with a fork. Make sure all of the noodles are well-covered with the sesame sauce and are not stuck together.
5. Let cool.

Serving tips and comments:

• You can serve this at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate after it has reached room temperature and blend well before serving .
• Make a day ahead if you can as the flavors get more intense after it has marinated for several hours.
• You can add to this salad, but I suggest keeping it simple: thinly sliced fresh carrots, chopped cilantro or thinly sliced raw peppers work well.
• Serve with teriyaki kebabs and/or Asian Coleslaw.

Tags: Asian, pasta, sesame, Summer, Vegetarian