I spent a long time looking for a peanut or sesame noodle recipe I really liked. One of the things that annoyed me with earlier attempts was that my food processor became an oily mess from making the sauce and clean up took too long. This recipe is so much easier because you just need a bowl big enough to toss the noodles after you make the sauce in the bottom of the bowl.

This is also one of our go-to Tanglewood recipes, along with the grilled salmon shown here because it’s a meal you can eat on your lap with only a fork! We hope and pray that in a few short months we will again be sharing picnics with friends on the Tanglewood lawn.

I use a product labeled “Chinese Noodles,” which are lo mein style, but if you don’t have that in your pantry right now, I’m sure a substitute will still taste great. As for the fresh ginger, if you can still get out and get some, or if you have some sitting on the counter, you should know that you can freeze ginger! You can cut the peel off, or not, and drop the pieces in a plastic container or plastic bag. When I need to use ginger from the freezer, I just use a fine grater right over the bowl. (If you want small diced pieces, you can certainly let it defrost somewhat and then chop.)

This is as good a time as any to show my favorite kitchen gadget for measuring just a few tablespoons, the OXO angled mini measuring cup. I love this product so much I have three of them! See the photo below with the rice vinegar in it. They are so useful for measuring tablespoons of liquid, as opposed to a shaky hand and a measuring spoon.

After fiddling around with various recipes, what follows seems to be exactly the right amount of sauce for the 10-ounce package of Chinese noodles I like to use.

Peanut Noodles

¼ cup smooth peanut butter
5 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons sesame oil
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1½ Tablespoons sugar
1½ Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated, or more to taste (I love ginger and always use more!)
1 clove garlic, grated or through a garlic press
1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal oelek or similar product), or more to taste
10 ounces noodles, preferably lo mein-style (see photo below)
For garnish (optional): julienned carrots, cucumber, red peppers; chopped unsalted roasted peanuts; sesame seeds

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except noodles and optional garnishes (see photo below). I like to use the largest bowl I have for ease in tossing the noodles. Using a whisk, smush the peanut butter and mix into the other ingredients as best you can. The peanut butter will not fully incorporate into the sauce, but it should get broken up into small clumps (see another photo below).

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Break the noodles into smaller pieces (or not, but with the brand I use, I find they are too long to deal with otherwise) and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Dump the wet noodles from the colander into the sauce and toss gently with tongs to distribute the sauce evenly throughout. The residual water on the noddles will help the ingredients in the sauce incorporate fully. Garnish as desired.

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Pantry Cooking: Peanut (Sesame) Noodles