This Chinese Take-out favorite is so delicious and easy to make and because you can serve it room temperature or chilled it’s a great potluck dish or fantastic to make in advance when entertaining. My friend Erika said she used to order it three times a week when she lived in NYC her in 20s. It’s THAT good!! The recipe calls for Chinese sesame paste (you can find it at Asian markets or on-line) but you can substitute with tahini but add about a tablespoon more of sesame oil for richer flavor. I usually use dried or fresh Chinese egg noodles but spaghetti or fettucine also works great! I get premium Asian sesame oil from the gourmet section at World Market.
8 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles or dried spaghetti
2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Srircha sauce
Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch by 2-inch sticks
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
toasted sesame seeds
finely chopped green onions
My daughter Becca and I just helped my friend Trish make a gluten-free version of this dish for Path House Homeless Shelter. Trish wanted to make a healthy Chinese dish for the residents and I thought it would be a great opportunity to teach Becca about supporting our community. We swapped out the egg noodles with rice noodles and used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free. You could also try tamari.
