Cold Peanut Ginger Noodles – NYT

INGREDIENTS

• Salt, for the pot
• 16 ounces Chinese egg noodles, spaghetti or linguine
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, more as needed
• 2 tablespoons chile crisp, more to taste
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 ½ cups thinly sliced cucumber
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger, more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, more to taste
• Chopped cilantro or basil (optional), for serving

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about ⅔ cup of starchy pasta water.
2. While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, chile crisp, sesame oil and ginger. Whisk in enough of the pasta water to make a loose, smooth dressing.
3. Add the cucumber slices to the bowl on top of the dressing, but don’t mix in. Drizzle cucumber lightly with a little more soy sauce.
4. Add the drained pasta, scallions, crystallized ginger and lime juice to the bowl and toss well, adding more pasta water if needed to make a glossy dressing. Taste and add more chile crisp, soy sauce and lime juice as needed. Top with cilantro and extra ginger if you like, then serve.