Peanut Sesame Noodles

The secret to this Chinese favorite is not to let the noodles sit in the sauce very long — toss them together a few seconds before serving. COOKS NOTES: Think about adding julienned carrots and cucumber. You may also like to add a bit more vinegar, sesame oil,garlic and soy sauce for tang! Great leftovers too!!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• For peanut dressing

• 1⁄2 cup  smooth peanut butter
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 1⁄3 cup warm water
• 2  tablespoons  chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1  medium garlic clove, chopped
• 2  tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  sesame oil
• 2  teaspoons honey
• 1  teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

• For noodle salad

• 3⁄4 lb  dried linguine, fini or 3⁄4 lb spaghetti
• 4  scallions, thinly sliced
• 1  red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 1  yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 1  green bell pepper, cut into 1/8 inch thick strips
• 2  celery ribs, thin slices
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 3  tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Make dressing:
2. Puree dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.
3. Make salad:
4. Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
5. Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing to combine, and serve immediately.