Sesame Noodles

I think this simple recipe for sesame noodles just might be my go-to summer dish. I fall in love with recipes where I just can’t get enough, and then make on repeat for a few months at a time.

A couple years ago, I was all in on a sunny corn pasta salad packed with black beans, peppers, fresh corn, crumbled feta and the brightest cilantro vinaigrette. Last summer was the year of grilled peaches (still a favorite) and not to be forgotten, the summer of discovering how easy making pizzas on the barbecue actually is, where we ate different combinations of pizza twice a week for months on end. That was a good year.

But back to this summer, while technically not here just yet, I am counting down the days. Bring on dinner on the back patio, slightly less chaotic mornings, weekly trips to the farmer’s market and fruit stands and hopefully lot of adventures into the mountains for hikes and bike riding.

I was craving a cold noodle salad and got in my head I wanted to use the small container of miso sitting in my fridge untouched. I played around with several recipes and just couldn’t get the flavor I was looking for. After flipping through one of my favorite cookbooks, and a longtime source of inspiration, Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes, I noticed a recipe for sesame noodles that simmered the sauce ingredients together.

That was just the tip I needed and thus, this simple, tasty and easy-to-make recipe came to life. By cooking the sauce, the flavors combine and intensify in the most perfect way. I swapped miso for tahini, which is a sesame seed paste. Miso can sometimes be hard to find in the grocery store, and I plan to make this dish on repeat, so I want easy to find ingredients. I kept the base for this recipe quite simple, but give yourself license to add a protein or more veggies when you make this at home.

Served warm, this noodle dish is rich and decadent in flavor and yet remains bright and light all at the same time. This recipe can also be served cold, just allow the dish to cool on the counter before transferring to the fridge to chill for a few hours. Great as a meal prep for a tasty lunch, some cooked chicken or leftover flank steak would be a lovely addition. I plan to add seasonal vegetables as the summer goes on. I can’t wait for my snap peas to be ready to harvest, I know they’ll be the perfect addition!

Sesame Noodles

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 tablespoon Sambel oelek

• 4 cloves garlic minced

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced

• 8 green onions, white parts removed, minced

• 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, leaves minced

• 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced

• 12 ounces spaghetti noodles (3/4 package)

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1 avocado, sliced

Wash and slice the red bell pepper thinly, removing the stem and seeds. Set aside. Mince the garlic, green onions and ginger, also setting aside. Remove stems from cilantro and mince lthe eaves. Set to the side for later

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Break the dry spaghetti noodles in half and drop them in the water. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the noodles are tender but still have a little bite to them.

While the noodles cook, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat in a large sauté pan. Add the red peppers and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until they just begin to soften. Add the garlic, green onions and ginger to the pan, cooking for an additional 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the ingredients are well-combined. Turn the heat to a low simmer.

When the noodles are finished cooking, drain the pasta from the water, reserving one cup of pasta water.

Add the tahini, soy sauce, brown sugar and Sambel Oelek to the sauté pan, stirring to combine. Pour in 3/4 cup of pasta water, continuing to stir the sauce. Add the pasta to the sauté pan, turning the heat back up to low. Mix the ingredients, adding the last 1/4 cup pasta water if needed to thin the sauce and insure the noodles are well-coated.

Take the pan off the heat and sprinkle with the minced cilantro leaves and toasted sesame seeds, giving the noodles one last toss to combine. Serve noodles in a shallow bowl and garnish with slices of avocado and any leftover minced green onion or cilantro.

Serve warm or allow to cool to room temperature before storing in an air tight container and chilling in the refrigerator.