Sesame Noodles with Spring Vegetables

07. May 2010 Pasta + Noodles + Rice 0

Ever since I started working in Connecticut, I’ve missed Asian food. I spend my weekends back in the city eating what I can’t get at work during the day: banh mi, bulgogi, Sichuan-anything, pho, congee, rice and noodles. I’m usually tired of the commute when I get home, but I use the little energy I have left to make myself an easy meal with every bit of Asian-ness I can muster.

You may use any long pasta for this recipe. I used spaghetti because it’s all I had the night I wanted to make this. If you have soba noodles, even better. And don’t feel like you have to use the vegetables I have here. This is a good dish to make to experiment with the spring vegetables you’re seeing out in the markets right now. If you like some crunch, toast the sesame seeds before sprinkling or shower the dish with crushed cashews.

Ingredients:
1 package of spaghetti
1 packaged of extra firm tofu, sliced in manageable squares
1 small Kirby cucumber, sliced
a handful of baby carrots, chopped
a handful of baby corn, halved
a handful of sugar snap peas, destringed
sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 spring onion, chopped
sesame seeds
salt

1. Cook the spaghetti al dente in a pot of boiling water. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
2. In a large skillet, heat some sesame oil. Sauté garlic until light brown. Add spring onion and cook until soft. Add all the vegetables and cook by tossing. The pan should be hot enough to cook the carrots and the corn.
3. When carrots are half-cooked, add the spaghetti. Toss to combine well. Add more sesame oil so that it doesnâ€™t dry up. Add the tofu and gently combine. Itâ€™s okay if your tofu gets crushed a little. Sprinkle with salt to taste and some sesame seeds before serving.