After sharing a few slightly more complicated recipes this week, I thought we’d head into the weekend with one that’s about as simple as can be. This is the kind of recipe I turn to when all I want to do is pick up the phone and order Chinese food or a pizza rather than cook us dinner. It’s also my go-to when I’ve spent the day baking and have completely destroyed the kitchen – dirty dishes from one end to the other, it’s safe to say I’m not really a “clean as you go” baker.

The beauty of these noodles is that no matter how lazy I’m feeling or how messy the kitchen is, I can always talk myself into taking 10 minutes to whip them up. Seriously, that’s about all the time you need to make this happen. Throw some noodles into a pot of boiling water and while they cook, make the sauce by whisking together just a handful of ingredients you probably have in your pantry. Drain the noodles, toss them with the sauce and serve!

Despite the simplicity, these sesame noodles are full of flavor. An added bonus is that they’re as good at room temperature as they are warm. I’ve even had success reheating leftovers in the microwave. In these pictures, I used noodles I picked up in the Asian section at my grocery store, but I’ve made the recipe with linguine and spaghetti too, so use whatever you can find.

Happy Friday guys! 🙂

Simple Sesame Noodles
from The Pioneer Woman (via The Cutting Edge of Ordinary)

12 oz noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
4 tablespoons canola oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, and canola oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the noodles have finished cooking, drain them, then add them to the bowl with the sauce. Toss until all of the noodles are coated. Add the scallions (reserving a few for garnish) and toss again. Divide amongst your serving bowls, garnish with a few scallions and serve.