Name: Sesame Noodles with Sweet Peppers and Cucumbers
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: ChineseAsia
Ingredients: 1 medium red bell pepper; 1 medium cucumber; 1/4 cup sesame seeds; 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter; 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 5 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco); 2 tablespoons light brown sugar lightly packed; hot water; 1 tablespoon table salt; 1 pound fresh Asian noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti; 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil; 4 scallions, sliced thin on diagonal; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 medium carrot, grated

Why This Recipe Works

To avoid pitfalls like gummy noodles and bland, pasty sauce, we rinsed the cooked noodles to rid them of excess starch. We wanted a full, flavorful sauce and found that chunky peanut butter ground freshly into the sauce with toasted sesame seeds made the best substitute for Asian sesame paste. After we added fresh garlic and ginger as well as soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce, brown sugar, and a final portion of sesame seeds to the sauce, we thinned it out with water to achieve the best texture.

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor and texture of chunky peanut butter in the sauce; in particular, we like conventional chunky peanut butter because it tends to be sweeter than natural or old-fashioned versions.

Instructions

Core, seed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 medium red bell pepper; peel, halve lengthwise, seed, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices 1 medium cucumber. Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in small bowl. In blender or food processor, puree remaining 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tablespoon at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream, about 5 tablespoons; set blender jar or workbowl aside.

Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again. In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated. Add bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro, and serve.