After college, I moved to New York City to launch her acting career. I survived on pizza and Chinese takeout. On sweltering summer nights in my un-air-conditioned studio apartment, I gorged on cold sesame noodles with crisp slices of cucumber.
Ingredients
8 oz. Chinese egg noodles, cappellini or pad thai-style rice noodles
| 1 Tbsp. peanut oil |
| ¼ c. peanut butter |
| ½ tsp. toasted sesame oil |
| 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar |
| ¼ c. soy sauce |
| 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds |
| 1 Tbsp. honey |
| 2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger, or 1 Tbsp. ground ginger |
| 2 garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes |
| 1 Tbsp. sriracha or other red chili sauce |
| 2 Persian cucumbers, 1 grated, 1 thinly sliced |
| 1 scallion chopped |
| ¼ c. salted roasted peanuts, chopped |
| ¼ c.p fresh cilantro leaves, chopped |
Preparation
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
2. Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water and soak for 5 minutes, until well chilled. Drain again, return to the bowl, toss with peanut oil and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, honey, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and sriracha.
4. Fold in the grated cucumber, half the scallion and half the peanuts. Add the chilled pasta and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl, twirling the pasta into a nest shape. Top with the sliced cucumber, cilantro and the remaining scallion and peanuts.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 490; Fat: 23g; Cholesterol: 70mg; Sodium: 1400mg; Total Carbohydrates: 57g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars: 12g; Protein: 18g.
Read Patricia’s inspiring story from the April 2018 issue of Guideposts!
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