Sesame noodles are a popular dish made with enriched pasta and peanut butter sauce, but authentic Chinese recipes use sesame oil and paste. Noodles have a historical role in Chinese cuisine and are served in various ways. Good sesame paste recipes use an emulsified mixture of sesame oil, garlic, and peanut butter, with added layers of flavor from vinegar and sugar. Packaged egg noodles can be used, and the dish can be served plain or with sautéed vegetables, chicken, or other ingredients.
Sesame noodles have a way of appearing on seafood dinner parties, takeout menus, and easy-to-prepare cookbooks. Generally, sesame noodles are made with an enriched pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine, and covered in a peanut butter sauce. While these sesame paste shapes are nice, they seem to bear little resemblance to more authentic Asian recipes.
Noodles have a historical role in the Chinese diet, dating back to the Han Dynasty of 206 BC. Considered essential starches needed to balance protein, noodles are consumed by the Chinese people on a frequent basis. Chinese noodles are served in a variety of ways, including soups, stir-fries, and even cold dishes. Many Chinese dishes call for the use of sesame oil, and cold noodles are often drizzled with this oil before serving. This practice may have given rise to sesame noodles.
Good sesame paste recipes call for an emulsified mixture of sesame oil, garlic and peanut butter. Big sesame noodles have a profound sense of taste; in addition to the peanut and sesame dressing, there is a thin layer of sweet and sour. By incorporating both vinegar and sugar into the seasoning, sesame noodles are able to offer multiple layers of flavor.
Authentic Chinese cooks typically prefer to make their own noodles from scratch, however packaged egg noodles can be used. Some recipes substitute Asian sesame paste for peanut butter. Asian sesame paste is similar to tahini, an Arabic sesame paste. Depending on your comfort level with the dressings, this replacement can prove challenging. Smooth peanut butter is typically easier to emulsify than sesame paste, so choose your ingredients wisely.
To make sesame noodles, boil the noodles in salted water until just tender. Drain the cooked noodles and rinse well under cold water. Whisk the sauce by slowly drizzling the oil into the peanut butter or sesame paste. Pour the sauce over the cold noodles and serve.
Sesame noodles can be served plain or with sauteed vegetables. Some recipes call for the addition of shredded chicken, while others include chopped shallots. There are even recipes that add Chinese broccoli or watercress. Either way, many recipes encourage cooks to coat the ingredients evenly with the sesame dressing before incorporating them into the noodles. Sesame noodles can be enjoyed alone or as an accompaniment to another dish.
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