Peanut Sesame Noodles

Peanut Sesame Noodles
The Gourmet Cookbook Copyright 2004

For Dressing:
½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh garlic
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Noodles:
¾ pound dried thin linguine or spaghetti
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch wide strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch wide strips
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. (I used my immersion blender and it took no time at all.) Transfer to a large bowl.

Make the noodles: Cook pasta in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt per ever 4 quarts water) until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.

Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, and sesame seed to dressing, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

This was a nice blend of flavors. That teaspoon of red pepper flakes scared me but it wasn't too much. The dressing had a nice kick but it wasn't 'hot'.

Another good recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook.