Description
Ina Garten’s szechuan noodles bring spicy, tangy flavors from Chinese cuisine to home kitchens. Sesame, soy, and chili combine for a quick, satisfying meal you can master with simple ingredients and minimal preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) spaghetti
- ½ cup (120 ml) smooth peanut butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) tahini
- ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry sherry
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) dark sesame oil
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) hot chili oil
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 ml) ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Sauce Preparation: Pulverize ginger and garlic in a food processor until finely minced, then incorporate peanut butter, tahini, roasted peanuts, soy sauce, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, sherry vinegar, and black and white peppers until a silky, harmonious sauce emerges.
- Pasta Cooking: Bring salted water with vegetable oil to a vigorous boil, immerse spaghetti, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring intermittently, until achieving the perfect al dente consistency.
- Noodle Dressing: Transfer drained pasta to a spacious bowl, drench with roughly 3/4 of the prepared sauce, gently tossing to ensure comprehensive coating.
- Vegetable Incorporation: Slice scallions and dice bell peppers into uniform pieces, then disperse across the sauced noodles, blending thoroughly.
- Serving: Present the dish warm or at ambient temperature, accompanying the remaining sauce for those craving additional flavor intensity.
Notes
- Prep Ahead: Chop vegetables and make sauce up to 2 days in advance, storing separately in airtight containers to maintain freshness and save time.
- Perfect Sauce Balance: Taste and adjust sauce ingredients incrementally, ensuring a harmonious blend of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors before coating noodles.
- Pasta Texture Tip: Cook spaghetti precisely 8-10 minutes for ideal al dente consistency, preventing mushy or overly firm noodles.
- Garnish Brilliance: Top with extra roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, or fresh cilantro for added crunch and vibrant presentation.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg