Chinese Noodle Salad

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Introduction

Our modern American culture continues to incorporate foods from around the world into a basic repertoire. A recent example is cold Chinese noodles, variations of which can now be found in delis around the country. There is good reason for the popularity of this dish from our Asian friends. These noodles are easy to make, and they are healthy since they incorporate current guidelines about low-fat, high-carbohydrate eating. This is our version. The recipe doubles easily if you want to take it to a potluck.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan or stockpot and toss in salt. Add spaghetti and cook until tender but with still some bite (al dente). Drain in a colander and rinse pasta under cold running water. Set aside.
2. In a small frying pan, toast sesame seeds over medium heat until brown, shaking frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine carrots, scallions, and drained noodles. In a small bowl, using a whisk, mix all the remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour over noodles and toss well. (We think it is easiest to do this with your hands; just be sure they are very clean.) Cover noodles and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just before serving toss with the toasted sesame seeds.
4. These noodles will last refrigerated for up to a week and, if anything, just get better.

Notes

• Chinese hot chili sauce is a bright-tasting, thick sauce found in cans in Asian grocery stores. If you don’t have time to get to a specialty market, substitute an equal amount of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce.
• Reserve a few of the toasted sesame seeds or some additional scallion rings to sprinkle over the completed salad for a pleasant garnish.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.