Spicy Noodles with Peanut Sauce
This is an adaptation by my friend Bob Halperin of Spicy Sesame Noodles from Asian Noodles, by Nina Simonds, Hearst Books, 1997.
This dish is equally good cold or at room temperature, as an appetizer or a main dish with crunch, spice, and intense flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound flat Chinese egg noodles or linguine, cooked until just tender, then rinsed in cold water, drained, and tossed with 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and grated
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- 3 T. minced scallion greens
- 2 T. sesame seeds
- Spicy Peanut Dressing
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- one 1/2-inch-thick sliced fresh ginger, peeled
- 8-10 T. peanut butter (Natural or crunchy)
- 4 T. sesame oil
- 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or sake
- 1 1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 T. sugar
- 6 T. water
- 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (optional, or more to taste)
In a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, chop the garlic and ginger. Add the remaining dressing
ingredients in the order listed, and process to blend. The dressing should be the consistency
of heavy cream. Thin, if needed, with water or thicken, if needed, with more peanut butter. Refrigerate,
if not using immediately, for up to a week.
Arrange the noodles on a large deep platter or in a pasta bowl. Scatter the cucumbers, red pepper,
and bean sprouts over the noodles. Sprinkle with the scallion greens and sesame seeds. Serve lightly dressed with
peanut dressing with additional dressing on the side.