At work, we have lunch frequently catered and whenever we get The Carving Board, people go crazy for their Asian noodle salad: thin noodles with sesame and ginger flavors. After watching Ina Garten make her crunchy noodle salad a few times, I decided to try my own version of this tasty side dish. How wrong can you go with peanut butter, ginger, garlic, soy, sesame and scallions?
You can add your own twist to these salads – for me, I added blanched broccoli and roasted chicken breast, which turned it into a nice little lunch meal as well as a hearty side dish. As with all pasta salads, this gets even better the second day and can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.
Sesame-peanut noodle salad
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound thin whole-wheat spaghetti
- 1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into pieces
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, sliced diagonally
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Place chicken breasts on cooking sheet and rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tender but cooked-through, about 25-30 min. When done, remove from skin and bone and shred into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Drain.
For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
Combine the spaghetti, broccoli, chicken, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.
I brought this to a backyard barbecue and then ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. I think I like it best when cold. Enjoy, friends! xoxo
Seasoned to Taste 