Recipe: Barefoot Contessa Szechuan Noodles

SZECHUAN NOODLES

"I love the complex flavor of this salad. Almost all the ingredients can be stored in the pantry, so it requires very little last minute shopping. The sauce can actually be made a week ahead and then added to the hot cooked pasta just before serving."

FOR THE SAUCE:
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup good soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/.4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
FOR THE NOODLES:
1 pound spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, and ground peppers. Puree the sauce.

Add splash of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with three-quarters of the sauce (don't combine the sauce with the pasta until the last minute; the soy sauce tends to break down the noodles and make them mushy). Add the red and yellow bell peppers and scallions; toss well.

Serve warm or at room temperature. The remaining sauce may be added, as needed, to moisten the pasta.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook: Secrets from the East Hampton Specialty food store for simple food and party platters you can make at home by Ina Garten