Cold Sesame Pasta Salad
For a tasty Asian noodle dish, try making the Cold Sesame Pasta Salad. With ingredients like chunky peanut butter and Sriracha hot chile sauce, there's a great fusion of flavors in this meal.
Ingredients
- 3 cup small shell pasta
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger root
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot chile sauce (or Chinese chile sauce)
- 1/2 cup peanuts, optional
- chopped scallions
- chopped cucumber
- chopped basil
- black sesame seeds
- shredded spinach or romaine lettuce
- sesame oil
Instructions
- Start the water boiling for the shells.
- Add the shells and cook al dente.
- Meanwhile measure the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter and grated ginger root into a sauce pan.
- Add peanuts if you are using them. Heat to a simmer and stir with a whisk. Simmer about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Add sesame oil and let cool.
- Drain the shells into a colander and refill the pot with cold water and a few ice cubes.
- Stir the shells into the ice water to cool them.
- Drain in the colander again and toss lightly so the excess water runs off.
- Combine the sauce with the cold pasta. Add the sesame oil and the hot sauce. Taste and adjust the spiciness to your preference.
- Serve on a large platter with shredded lettuce or spinach on each end.
- Over the top, sprinkle lots of black sesame seeds, scallions, cucumber and a little basil.
- Last, drizzle more sesame oil over the top.