Description
Ina Garten’s easy sesame noodles bring quick, delightful Asian-inspired comfort to dinner tables. Silky noodles dance with rich sesame sauce, delivering complex flavors that promise to satisfy your craving for a simple yet sophisticated meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450 g) spaghetti
- ¼ cup (60 ml) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) tahini, stirred
Sauce and Seasoning Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (3 cloves) coarsely chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili paste or chili garlic sauce
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish Ingredients:
- 4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)
- ½ cup (75 g) salted, roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Craft the flavor-packed sauce by blending minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, vegetable oil, tahini, creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, dry sherry, honey, sesame oil, chili paste, salt, and black pepper in a blender until the mixture transforms into a silky, uniform emulsion.
- Bring a generously sized pot filled with water to a rolling boil, seasoning with of salt. Carefully introduce the spaghetti and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or precisely according to the package guidelines, aiming for a perfect al dente texture.
- Using tongs or a pasta scoop, transfer the steaming hot spaghetti to a spacious serving bowl, reserving a small amount of the starchy cooking liquid to help bind the sauce.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the hot pasta, gently tossing to ensure each strand is luxuriously coated. If the sauce appears too thick, incorporate small splashes of reserved pasta water to achieve a smooth, clingy consistency.
- Garnish the pasta with thinly sliced scallions and roughly chopped roasted peanuts, providing a delightful crunch and fresh flavor burst. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.
- Serve the dish immediately while warm, or allow it to rest and enjoy at room temperature, allowing the complex flavors to meld and develop.
Notes
- Whisk tahini and peanut butter thoroughly to eliminate clumps and create a silky, well-blended sauce that coats the pasta evenly.
- Reserve a splash of starchy pasta water before draining, which helps loosen the sauce and provides a glossy, smooth coating for the noodles.
- Cook spaghetti just until tender with a slight bite, preventing soggy noodles and ensuring the perfect al dente texture that pairs beautifully with the creamy sauce.
- Slice scallions moments before serving to introduce a fresh, sharp flavor and delightful crunch that cuts through the rich, nutty sauce.
- Enjoy the dish immediately or at room temperature, allowing the flavors to meld while maintaining the ideal sauce consistency and pasta texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 1/6 of the recipe)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg