Chile Crisp Sesame Noodles Are the Easy Weeknight Dinner We Need
These noodles are easy to make and customize, and ready in less than half an hour.
By Paige Grandjean
We love noodles that are faster — and tastier — than takeout, and happen to be delicious when warm, room temperature, or eaten straight out of the refrigerator. Feel free to customize your noodles by adding sliced cucumber, blanched and shelled edamame, steamed broccoli florets, shredded rotisserie chicken, steamed and peeled shrimp, soft boiled eggs, or fried cubed tofu.
What are lo mein noodles?
Lo mein noodles are wheat noodles made with egg, and have a slightly chewy texture. They are sold both fresh and precooked. Use fresh but not cooked noodles in this recipe. You can substitute spaghetti or fettuccine noodles for a similar flavor, but they won’t have the same texture.
What is the difference between Chinese sesame paste and tahini?
The two are not the same. Chinese sesame paste, or zhi ma jiang, is made by grinding deeply toasted sesame seeds into a paste, giving it a darker color and richer flavor. Tahini is made with ground untoasted or lightly toasted sesame seeds, and is lighter in color with a less pronounced flavor. You can use either in this recipe.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
If you can, select fatter carrots to use in this dish — they are easier to cut into planks. If you are using tahini instead of zhi ma jiang (Chinese toasted sesame paste), add a splash of toasted sesame oil to the dish to amplify the sesame flavor.
Make ahead
This is a great dish to make ahead. Store the noodles in an airtight container for up to five days, and if they clump together after chilling overnight, you can toss them with one to two teaspoons of toasted sesame oil or water to help loosen things up.
Ingredients
3 medium carrots
1/4 cup neutral cooking oil (such as grapeseed oil or peanut oil)
1/4 cup zhi ma jiang (Chinese toasted sesame paste) or tahini
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
2 teaspoons grated garlic (from 4 medium garlic cloves)
2 teaspoons honey
5 tablespoons spicy chile crisp, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed
1 pound fresh lo mein noodles or uncooked spaghetti or fettuccine
3 cups packed fresh baby spinach (about 3 1/2 ounces)
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced on an angle (about 1/2 cup)
Toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Working with 1 carrot at a time, cut carrots crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Cut off a thin slice lengthwise from each carrot piece to create a flat edge. Lay the carrot flat on a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into thin (about 1/8-inch-thick) planks. Stack a few of the planks together, and slice them lengthwise into thin (about 1/8-inch-thick) strips.
Step 2
Whisk together the cooking oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, honey, and 3 tablespoons of the spicy chile crisp in a large bowl. The sauce should be thin and pourable; whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to thin. Set aside.
Step3
Cook the noodles according to package directions, adding carrots and spinach during the final 30 seconds of cooking time. Drain well, and add to sauce in the bowl; toss to coat. (Dressed noodles can be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.)
Step 4
To serve, drizzle noodle mixture with remaining 2 tablespoons chile crisp. Sprinkle with scallions, and garnish with sesame seeds.
*[Food and Wine]
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For The Noodles
8 oz. dried wheat noodles
3 tbsp. Chinese sesame paste
2 tbsp. peanut butter
3 tbsp. reserved noodle water
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp. honey, brown sugar, or granulated sugar
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. Chinese black vinegar
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. MSG (optional)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1/8 tsp. five spice powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
For The Toppings
Thinly slivered cucumbers
Crushed roasted peanuts
Toasted sesame seeds
Chili oil
Thinly sliced green onions
Step 1
In a medium pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions until al dente, about 3 minutes. Reserve at least ¼ cup cooking water, then drain and briefly rinse noodles in cold water.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine sesame paste and peanut butter. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons cooking water until smooth.
Step 3
Add all remaining sauce ingredients and whisk until well combined and mixture is silky.
Step 4
Place cooked noodles on a plate, then top with cucumbers. Drizzle prepared sauce all over on top. Before serving, garnish with chili oil, sesame, peanuts, and green onions.
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Reserve more cooking liquid to loosen up congealed noodles right before serving.
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My Favorite Sesame Noodles
For a quick, Asian-inspired meal for one, spaghetti noodles are combined with peanut butter, tamari, and Thai chili sauce. 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 package spaghetti, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, 1 clove garlic minced, 2 tablespoons tamari, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 green onion chopped, 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce
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Someone recently called Sesame autism creature and you know what. Yeah.
[id: Sesame, the yearling corn snake. He is orange and red patterned, with big orange eyes, and he’s laying in his cork tube]
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