Name: Cold Sesame Noodles with Cucumber
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 ounces Chinese egg noodles, cappellini, or pad thai– style rice noodles; 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 1/4 cup peanut butter; 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 3 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, or 1 tablespoon ground ginger; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon sriracha or other red chile sauce; 2 Persian cucumbers, 1 grated, 1 thinly sliced; 1 scallion, chopped; 1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

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Photo by Ed Anderson

Remember those sesame noodles I used to order in New York as a cash- strapped actress? Well, I’ve re-created my own recipe here and, in my humble opinion, it’s even better than the original. Best part? This is a cinch to make.

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces Chinese egg noodles, cappellini, or pad thai– style rice noodles

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, or 1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sriracha or other red chile sauce

2 Persian cucumbers, 1 grated, 1 thinly sliced

1 scallion, chopped

1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation

Step 1
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Step 2
Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water and soak for 5 minutes, until well chilled. Drain again, return to the bowl, toss with the peanut oil, and set aside.
Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, honey, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sriracha. Fold in the grated cucumber, half the scallion, and half the peanuts. Add the chilled pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. Transfer to a serving bowl, twirling the pasta into a nest shape. Top with the sliced cucumber, cilantro, and the remaining scallion and peanuts.

Image may contain: Patricia Heaton, Human, Person, Food, and Meal

From Patricia Heaton's Food for Family and Friends © 2018 by Patricia Heaton. Reprinted with permission from William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.

TagsHarper Collins Cookbooks Noodle Pasta & Noodles Dinner Cucumber Vegetable Asian Peanut Nut Peanut Butter Ginger Herbs & Spices Vegetarian Vegan Summer

Recipe notes

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