Sesame Noodles

I was looking for an easy Asian side dish to go with my sweet and sour chicken recipe and I ran across this really easy recipe for sesame noodles. I didn't have any sesame oil, but was able to make a substitute by sauteing 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame seeds in 1/2 teaspoon canola oil until golden brown. It gave me the sesame oil taste, but I did add a bit of vegetable oil to the sauce to make up for the fact that there was very little actual oil in my substitute. I also didn't have green onions so I just used some finely diced red onion and that worked great. Next time I'll probably add some peas but, alas, I was also out of peas. Um....it sounds like someone should probably go shopping! These noodles can be eaten hot or cold, but I prefer them hot. I'm thinking these would actually be a good alternate to put in my kids lunches for school sometimes. They are super easy to make and the kids gobbled them up.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound (16 oz.) linguine or spaghetti 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or hot chili oil
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• optional garnishes: extra thinly-sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, coarsely-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions in a large pot of generously salted water.

Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and sriracha (or hot chili oil). Whisk until combined. When the pasta is ready, drain it. Then immediately toss with the dressing and 1/2 cup green onions until the pasta is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately, topped with extra garnishes if desired.