Top 10 Reasons Why I H-E-A-R-T Sesame Noodles:

10. They call for simple ingredients I almost always have on hand
9. Make fantastic leftovers!
8. Take less than 15 minutes to whip up
7. Are versatile – I generally throw in whatever seasonings, meats, or veggies I have on hand
6. Make your kitchen smell hea-ven-ly
5. Great way to use up any random pastas (whole-wheat works well too!)
4. Can be served hot, room-temp, or chilled
3. Delicious, delicious, delicious!!!
2. Offer a great way to use up leftover chicken/beef/pork/shrimp
1. Main ingredient: sesame oil. Need I say more???

These truly are more about the “method” than the “recipe”. I generally just toss in a little of this, and a little of that. But here is a jumping off point. Enjoy!!! :)

Sesame Noodles Recipe
(Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (16 oz.) linguine or spaghetti, cooked according to instructions
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chile sauce or hot chili oil
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced thin
• lots of freshly ground black pepper

Method:

To make dressing, combine soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, hot chili sauce and canola oil in a small bowl until combined.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Ali’s Tip:

I opted to make these without peanut butter or peanuts this time around. But if you’d like to turn these into “peanut-sesame noodles”, just add 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter into the dressing. And then if you’d like, add in some extra peanuts with the green onions at the end.