Sesame Peanut Noodles | Nigella

Lots of crispy vegetables: Beansprouts, pea pods, bell pepper and green onions

Before my cooking days, I used to make some version of Nigella’s sesame peanut noodles. Mostly, the recipe comes out of my head and my memory of a similar dish. I like it because it’s a summer dish with a decent shelf life; and you can easily pack it on the go. Nigella suggests buying the ready-cooked egg noodles. I skip that for the ease of not having to make another trip to the store and use thin spaghetti from the pantry.

Two elements contribute to the success of the sesame peanut noodles: the peanut sauce/dressing and the heap of raw vegetables that make the dish more like a noodle salad. If I’m forced to pick just one winner, I’d have to go with the peanut sauce. It won’t be a sesame peanut dish without the namesake peanuts.

Besides the peanut butter, the dressing requires spoonful of sesame oil, garlic-infused olive oil, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and lime juice. These are quintessential ingredients for the Asian pantry. Depending on the runniness of the brand of peanut butter you’re using, you may need to add more olive oil, or “pasta” water (if you cook the noodles yourself).

For the vegetables, I like the crunch of the beansprouts, the thinly sliced red bell pepper and the green onion. Contrasting with the crispy vegetables, I blanch the pea pods, while taking the rawness out of them. It’s a personal preference, entirely optional!