Noodles with Ginger Cilantro Sauce

Being a sucker for noodle dishes with Asian flavors and an enthusiast of pesto-type sauces laced with fresh herbs, I was obligated at my core to make this dish. The freshest cilantro is everywhere right now (even if my planting isn’t quite mature enough to be used yet), and I had a big chile pepper ready to be picked in my back yard (the first true fruit of my gardening labors!). It’s not often when so much comes together in my favor, and, for once, I failed to squander the opportunity.

Which is great, because these noodles are truly delicious! They’re cooled after cooking and then start their flavor journey by being tossed with some sesame oil. The sauce is a puree of mostly cilantro and ginger, enhanced by vinegar, chile, soy sauce, tahini, and more sesame oil. There’s a lot of big flavor together, but it manages to be zesty, and perhaps slightly and pleasantly bitter, without being fiery or overwhelming. That being said, if you want to punch up a particular favorite flavor, there’s room to do so. (I was thinking of making them with this infused sesame oil next.)

In addition to plenty of farmer’s market cilantro, I also had a pretty bunch of green onions, so I finely chopped those and added them to my noodles, too. I think this could be an exciting dish if the sauce was doubled and lots of other seasonal vegetables were added: I’m thinking matchstick radishes and cucumbers, and/or finely chopped snap peas and green beans. And don’t forget shredded cabbage and carrots, and finely chopped broccoli. Maybe we’ll need to triple the sauce batch?

I served this as a main-dish salad, but you could also offer it as a side with some grilled chicken or tofu, perhaps made with this Chinese Style Barbecue Sauce and Marinade. I’d even put it on a summer buffet table next to barbecue beans and potato salad.

 

Well, really, I’d eat it anywhere and any-when. And these seasonal ingredients keep coming to the market and to my garden, so all will be right with the world …of noodles.

Sesame Noodles with Ginger Cilantro Sauce

Based on a recipe from The Bon Appetit Cookbook

If you find the sauce to be too thick, you can thin it with water, or chicken or vegetable broth. I did not find a need for this addition.

8 ounces dry long pasta, such as linguine, or rice noodles

2 ½ tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger

1 small chile pepper (or half of a large one), seeds removed if desired, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon tahini

3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

Water or broth to thin sauce as needed

½ cup finely chopped green onions (scallions)

1. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until done the way you like to eat them. (I like mine a bit softer than al dente.) Drain. Rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Drain well.

2. Combine the ginger and chile in the bowl of a food processor. Process to a coarse paste. Add the cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tahini, and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Process until almost smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add some water or broth if the sauce seems too thick.

3. Toss the noodles with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add the green onions and pour over the sauce. Toss to coat well. You can also add some water or broth at this stage if the sauce seems to thick. Adjust the seasonings, to taste. Serve at room temperature or cool.

Makes about 4 side-dish servings, or 2 big main-dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Noodles with Cilantro, Green Onions, and Peanuts; Sesame Noodle Salad; Peanutty Noodles; Thai Peanut Curry Noodles; Warm Noodles with Cilantro and Coconut Lime Dressing

One year ago: Radish Cilantro Salsa