Sesame Noodle Bowls

I never met a pasta I didn’t like and if you ask me what food I cannot live without is, I would say Asian. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc. – I love them all.   So, perfecting a recipe for sesame noodles was critical when I started eyummykitchen.com.  I love how savory, sweet and peanut-y these silky noodles are.  I’ve made this countless times but finally landed on the right ingredients and ratios so I’m thrilled to get this on paper (cooking with recipes has been a big part of starting the blog!)

The sauce has all the iconic Asian flavors along with peanut butter and the ingredients for the sauce go into a blender so it couldn’t be easier to make.  And, if you don’t use it all up it stays in the fridge for a few days and would be great mixed with napa cabbage, toasted ramen noodles, veggies and chicken.  (Might have to write that one up too!).

Normally I use spaghetti for the noodles – or Chinese egg noodles which you can get at an Asian market – but I had only thin linguini on hand so that’s what I used.  Once the noodles are dressed, they sky is the limit for how you build your noodle bowl.  I go heavy on thinly sliced cucumber and have added everything from shredded carrots, napa cabbage, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and grilled chicken.  I always finish them with scallions and toasted sesame seeds on top and lots of chili sauce or chili crunch (my new obsession) since I like them spicy.  I like to prep everything and put out the toppings so everyone can make their own individual bowl with goodies.  I’m partial to eating these noodles cold and the longer they sit in the fridge, the better they get.  

Once the noodles are cooked, I drain it, rinse it to stop the cooking and then toss it with a little bit of the dressing so when I go to serve them later, they won’t be one big mess of stuck together noodles. 

Ingredients

1 box (16oz)     Spaghetti or Chinese egg noodles

1 tbs                 Scallions, sliced on a bias for garnish

1 tbs                 Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Sauce

1 c                    Canola oil

¾ c                  Smooth peanut butter (I like smooth Skippy)

¼ c                  Apple cider vinegar

1/4 c Soy sauce (I use low sodium)

3 tbs                 Sesame oil

2 tbs                 Honey

1 tsp                 Ginger, grated

2 cloves           Garlic, minced

3 tsp                 Kosher salt

1 tsp                 Black pepper

Preparation

In a blender or food processor, combine all the sauce ingredients till smooth.  Store in an airtight container – minus a ½ cup – in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  When it is done, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Toss with the ½ cup of the sauce and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour in an airtight container.

When you are ready to serve, toss the noodles with 1 cup of sauce at a time and add more according to your preference.

The sauced noodles are great plain with some scallions and toasted sesame seeds on top but we usually add some protein and veggies, including:

• Chicken (I like to grill thin breasts but a rotisserie chicken diced or shredded is great here)
• Steak. Thinly sliced and cooked.
• Cucumber, thinly sliced
• Red, orange or yellow peppers, thinly sliced
• Napa cabbage
• Shredded carrots
• Diced water chestnuts
• Blanched broccoli
• Chili sauce or crunch