These sesame noodles are a go-to for busy weeknights. Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this. A hot meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make and the only cooking involved is boiling noodles. Serve them with this orange beef or these pork egg rolls to make it a feast!
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Asian food pantry
Finding quick and easy recipes is important if you want to serve your family home-cooked meals. Asian inspired take-out favorites are great for this. We make Asian food regularly, so typically we have the ingredients for this recipe on hand. But, if you were to buy all the components needed for this recipe at once, it could be a pricey endeavor. Think of it as an investment though.
These items will last you a long time, and a little goes a long way. Refrigerate ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil and sesame seeds once they’re opened to get a longer shelf life. Put some of those ingredients to good use with this beef and broccoli and this shrimp lo mein.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, grated or finely minced
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili Oil
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil, or other neutral oil of your choice
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
- ¼ cup Green Onions, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish, if desired
- 16 ounces Noodles (we used linguine)
- 1-2 tablespoons Salt for the Pasta Water (we used kosher salt)
- Sesame Seeds for garnish, optional
Cook’s note: We used to find chili oil at our local markets, but lately it has been really hard to find. If you can’t find chili oil it’s easy to make your own. This recipe is really simple with just three ingredients and only takes a few minutes.
Chili Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup neutral oil (canola, grapeseed or even a light-tasting olive oil will work)
- 1½ tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, we used kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the oil, crushed red pepper and salt to a small saucepan. Heat the chili oil gently over medium-low heat until warmed through – about 5 minutes, stir frequently.
- Allow the oil to cool completely.
- Strain if desired. We pack it away with the crushed red pepper.
- Add the oil to a jar or bowl with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate. Use as needed for recipes. Refrigerate for up to three months.
Prep Work
There’s not a lot to do here, except for the garlic and green onions it’s just measuring out ingredients.
- Use a microplane to grate the garlic, or mince it finely.
- Slice the green onions, use kitchen shears to make quick work of this.
Make the sesame sauce
I like using canning jars to make sauces, dressings and marinades. They’re washable, reusable and convenient. If you make the sauce ahead of time, you can cover the jar tightly with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, canola oil, green onions and the crushed red pepper to a jar or medium bowl. Stir the sauce with a fork to combine well. If you’re not using it right away store in the refrigerator until you’re ready. You can make it a day ahead too keep in an airtight container.
Cook the noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remember to add salt, 1 or 2 tablespoons will do it.
- Cook the noodles to package directions for al dente. Stir them often, especially in the first few minutes. Don’t overcook them so they don’t get sticky and mushy.
- When the noodles are done use a strainer to drain well and return them to the pot. Don’t allow them to cool. We need them steaming hot when we add the sauce.
Lower the heat to low and place the pot with the noodles back over the still-hot burner. Immediately add the sesame sauce and stir constantly for 45 seconds to 1 minute until combined and warmed through.
Serve the sesame noodles and garnish with extra green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
You may also like these recipes:
- Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin
- Orange Chicken
- Bacon and Eggs Fried Rice
- Stir Fry Sauce
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves grated or finely minced
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili Oil
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil or other neutral oil of your choice
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
- ¼ cup Green Onions thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish, if desired
- 16 ounces Noodles we used linguine
- 1-2 tablespoons Salt for the Pasta Water we used kosher salt
- Sesame Seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
Make the sesame sauce
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, canola oil, green onions and the crushed red pepper to a jar or medium bowl. Stir the sauce with a fork or small whisk to combine well.
Cook the noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and noodles. Cook to package directions for al dente. Stir them often, especially in the first few minutes.
- When the noodles are done use a strainer to drain well and return them to the pot right away so they don’t cool.
- Lower the heat to low and place the pot back over the still-hot burner. Immediately add the prepared sesame sauce and stir constantly for 45 seconds to 1 minute until combined and warmed through.
- Serve and garnish with extra green onions and sesame seeds if desired.