Crack noodles

So called not because they crack (the verb) but because they are like crack (the noun). I got this recipe from my friend Josh (not to be confused with our Josh… or my other friend Josh…).

• 8oz thin spaghetti noodles
• 3 tbsp peanut oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2-3 fresh cloves garlic, chopped
• red cayenne pepper
• 2-3 scallions, chopped (optional)

I’m not a big scallion fan, so I left those out.

1. Cook noodles and toss with 1 tbsp peanut oil.
2. In a bowl with high sides, mix together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, peanut butter, sesame oil, sugar, ground ginger, and salt. Beat with a fork or whisk until creamy.
3. In a large skillet, roast the sesame seeds (dry) until they are golden brown and fragrant. Let them cool on a small plate. Then use the same skillet to roast the chopped garlic in the 2 tbsp peanut oil, along with red cayenne pepper to taste.
4. When the garlic is roasted, add the noodles and sauce to the skillet. Mix and cook over low heat for 2 minutes or until sauce has started to thicken around noodles. Remove from heat and mix in sesame seeds and scallions.

This is probably obvious to anyone but me, but after you cook the sesame seeds they are hot. I tried to spread them around on the plate and burned my fingers. Whoops.

It’s good warm or cold, so make lots and have leftovers. (The pictures are actually of a double recipe, because a package of spaghetti is usually 16 oz., not 8 oz., and it seemed silly to only cook half of it.)