Sesame Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry pasta, spaghetti or linguine
- ¼ cup soy sauce, low-sodium if preferred
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or mirin
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup/brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste or fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- ground black pepper, to taste
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, for peanut sesame noodles
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, sambal, or chili oil
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- ½ cup cooked edamame
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add butter and ¼ cup reserved pasta water, tossing it all together until the butter melts and coats the noodles.
- Pour in the sesame-soy mixture and toss with sliced green onions until well combined. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen the noodles so they don’t stick.
- Season with black pepper, add any optional toppings, and serve hot or chilled.
Notes
- Butter: The butter is definitely an unconventional ingredient when it comes to Asian-inspired noodles however, it helps form a coating that makes it easier for the noodles to absorb the flavour of the sauce. You can choose to leave it out or simply toss the noodles with a bit of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together.
- Optional Ingredients: Whisk in peanut butter, sriracha or chili oil together with the sesame-soy mixture. Add toasted sesame seeds at the same time you add the green onions.
- Noodle Options: You can use rice noodles or ramen noodles if preferred. Simply follow the package cooking directions.
- Pasta Cooking Water: aka as gold from the Gods....Tossing hot pasta with butter and some of the cooking water creates a light, silky sauce that coats the noodles. It also adds flavor.
- Serving: This dish can be served hot or cold.
Nutrition
Calories: 339 kcal, Carbohydrates: 55 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 0.2 g, Cholesterol: 12 mg, Sodium: 688 mg, Potassium: 184 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 140 IU, Vitamin C: 0.2 mg, Calcium: 20 mg, Iron: 1 mg
