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A bowl of cold sesame noodles garnished with scallions.

Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe

Author: Dana Ricciardi
Nutty, tangy, crunchy, and slightly sweet, this refreshing cold sesame noodles recipe is easy to recreate at home for a night of take-out fake-out. This recipe explains how to make these noodles if you want to eat them "refrigerator cold," but it also offers the option for eating them immediately.
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 4
Calories 645 kcal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces noodles (Note 1)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter (Note 2)
  • 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (Note 3)
  • 4 scallions sliced, green parts only

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package's directions. Reserve about ¼ to ½ cup of pasta water. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Toss them in a bowl with the sesame oil until it's evenly coated. Transfer the bowl and the reserved pasta water to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.
  • When you're ready to serve the noodles, whisk the remaining ingredients, except for the sesame seeds and scallions, in a large bowl until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir everything together thoroughly. The sauce will be thick, so add some reserved pasta water to loosen it.
  • Sprinkle in some toasted sesame seeds and scallions and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated. Serve in bowls and garnish with more sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!
  • *To eat these noodles right away, whisk together the sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.
    Rinse the cooked noodles and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Toss until fully incorporated, using the pasta water to loosen the dressing and make everything easier to stir.
    Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and scallions, and serve.

Notes

Note 1: Use any noodles you like. You can also use spaghetti or even bucatini, which I used for the photos above.
Note 2: I highly recommend using an all-natural peanut butter, which has a looser texture and is easier to incorporate into the noodles. 
Note 3: If you only have untoasted sesame seeds, heat them in a small pan and cook them until golden brown.
General Note: It may seem counterintuitive to rinse the noodles just to add back in some of the starchy pasta water, but you're only using a little bit to help thin the sauce and help it adhere to the noodles.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 745mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!