Cold Sesame Noodles

I sampled these tasty noodles at a recent get-together and immediately asked for the recipe. Not only did I get the recipe, but the person who made it sent me home with a small plateful to enjoy later. The intoxicating scent of the noodles drove me crazy the whole way home and I ate them as soon as I walked in the door. I will most definitely be making these noodles again and again.

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Cold Sesame Noodles

makes 1 pound

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 ounces angle hair pasta (or thin spaghetti)

• 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 cup regular soy sauce (not low sodium)

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon hot chili oil (or sriracha)

• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

• 1 scallion, chopped

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted or not)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain - do not rinse.

2. While the pasta is cooking, whisk the sesame oil, soy, balsamic, chili oil, and sugar together in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.

3. Add the hot pasta and bell pepper strips; stir well to coat and chill for at least 30 minutes.

4. Garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds just before serving.

Note

• I usually heavily salt my pasta water, but because the sauce for these noodles contains full-sodium soy sauce, I omit salting my pasta water.

adapted from allrecipes.com

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Here’s a delicious pasta salad to add to your culinary repertoire. The recipe makes a ton and stores well for several days in the fridge so you can easily make it ahead. The flavor of this salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature - enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pesto https://amzn.to/39rf9YY

• pasta https://amzn.to/3zEj5QW

• pine nuts https://amzn.to/39uAHnB

• Duke’s mayonnaise https://amzn.to/3xQF19Z

• large mixing bowl https://amzn.to/3tBrelc

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Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

makes enough to feed a crowd

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (shapes that work well are gemelli, fusili, rotini, penne)

• 3/4 cup prepared pesto (about 6 ounces)

• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise (we love Duke’s)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

• 2 cups asparagus tips, cooked

• 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• Optional: 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

• Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente; drain and set aside until needed.

2. In a very large mixing bowl (6-quart or larger), whisk together the pesto, mayo, and salt.

3. Add the cooked pasta, peas, asparagus, chickpeas, pine nuts, and chives; mix well and serve immediately..

adapted from The Cookie Rookie

Notes

• My favorite store-bought pesto is Kirkland brand from Costco. It’s made with D.O.P. Genovese Basil imported from Italy. But if you prefer to use homemade, check out my recipe here.

• Feel free to use any pasta you like, but I prefer shapes that are 1 to 2 inches in length (roughly the same size of the asparagus tips).