Szechuan Noodles

By adriennehannis

Ingredients

• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 red bell pepper (julienned)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (julienned)
• 4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Place garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, and ground peppers. Puree the sauce.

Add a splash of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with three-quarters of the sauce. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and scallions. Toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature. The remaining sauce may be added, as needed, to moisten the pasta.

Don't combine the sauce and pasta until the last minute; the soy sauce tends to break down the noodles and make them mushy.