I’ve been making this modified version of Tyler Florence’s Cold Sesame Noodles for a few years. It’s a huge hit, especially with people who think they won’t like them.
It’s a very easy recipe that uses a blender or food processor. It can be made spicy or not so spicy and it’s full of protein and flavor. I usually serve this with grilled chicken, but you can eat it with anything.
I was just looking up this recipe to double check the ingredients and saw that there’s a new version. The one I’ve been making for years is an uncooked sauce that you make in the blender. The one I’m seeing online now is a cooked sauce using the exact same ingredients (including amounts). I’ll have to try cooking it, but really the uncooked is so good and so easy, I’m not sure I’ll actually do that.
Cold Sesame Noodles (recipe repeated at the end of post without notes and pictures)
- 1 pound of thin spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger -minced
Yes, I used a little more ginger than the recipe calls for. I like ginger. A lot.
- 2 garlic cloves -minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium is fine)
- juice of one lime (may need more – adjust to taste)
This is not really a giant lime. Sometimes I go crazy with the macro zoom. For the sake of moving on, I am not including photos of all ingredients, just the coolest looking ones.
- 6 tablespoons hot water (may not use it all)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (sometimes I leave these out)
Directions
Cook pasta according to directions. (Don’t overcook, because it will absorb the sauce later)
Drain immediately, and rinse with cold water until cool, and transfer to a wide bowl.
Toss with the sesame oil so they don’t stick together.
In a blender, add the peanut oil, ginger, garlic, chili paste, brown sugar, peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and lime juice.
Blend together and add hot water to thin out as needed. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the pasta, but not so thin that it’s runny.
Best when refrigerated overnight, but who’s kidding who here…it tastes good when freshly blended too. Make sure the pasta isn’t warm though, that’s really key.
Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with the sesame seeds, green onions and cilantro. Cucumber slices are also acceptable.
Enjoy!
Cold Sesame Noodles
- 1 pound thin spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger -minced
- 2 garlic cloves-minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium is fine)
- juice of one lime (may need more – adjust to taste)
- 6 tablespoons hot water (may not need it all)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Cucumber slices, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (sometimes I leave these out)
Directions
Cook pasta according to directions. (Don’t overcook, because it will absorb the sauce later)
Drain immediately, and rinse with cold water until cool, and transfer to a wide bowl.
Toss with the sesame oil so they don’t stick together.
In a blender, add the peanut oil, ginger, garlic, chili paste, brown sugar, peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and lime juice.
Blend together and add hot water to thin out as needed. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the pasta, but not so thin that it’s runny.
Best when refrigerated overnight, but who’s kidding who here…it tastes good when freshly blended too. Make sure the pasta isn’t warm though, that’s really key.
Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with the sesame seeds, green onions and cilantro. Cucumber slices are also acceptable.
