Recipe: Japanese Pasta Salad (using soba noodles or linquini)

JAPANESE PASTA SALAD

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut in 1/4-inch strips
1 package (10 oz.) frozen whole green beans, defrosted
1 cup flaked grilled or baked salmon, about 5 oz. (optional)
3 to 4 scallions, green part only, about 1/3 cup
7 to 8 oz. uncooked soba noodles* (or 8 oz. uncooked whole-wheat linguini)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. roasted sesame oil

Roast sesame seeds in small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside. This step can be done a day ahead.

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium high heat. Saute shiitakes until tender and lightly browned, 6-7 minutes. Place mushrooms in large mixing bowl. Add beans, salmon, and scallions.

In large pot of boiling water, cook soba until it is still slightly hard in center, about 5 minutes. Pasta must be slightly underdone, or it becomes mushy. Immediately drain, rinse soba in cold water, and drain well. If using linguini, follow package directions, cooking it al dente. Rinse drained pasta, as for soba. Place pasta in bowl with vegetables and salmon.

In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, pepper flakes, and black pepper. Whisk in oyster sauce and sesame oil. Pour dressing over pasta and vegetables. Using two forks, gently toss pasta to coat lightly with dressing, leaving most of the other ingredients in bottom of bowl.

Arrange pasta on serving platter. Spoon green bean and mushroom mixture over pasta. Pour dressing remaining in bowl over salad. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Serve within one hour, covering and refrigerating salad if not serving immediately.

Serves 4 (Makes 7 cups with salmon)

Per serving: 316 calories, 7 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat), 49 g. carbohydrate, 18 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 749 mg. sodium.

*ABOUT SOBA NOODLES:
The Japanese eat more noodles than any other dish. As in Italy, the popularity of particular noodle dishes in Japan varies widely by region. But that's where the similarity between Japanese noodles and Italian pasta ends.

Soba, the word for both the buckwheat grain from which the noodles are made, and the distinctive, thin, beige noodles themselves, is associated with Tokyo and northern Japan. In the U.S., as well as in Japan, you can find soba made entirely from buckwheat, though noodles made from a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour are more common.

Pure buckwheat soba costs considerably more because it is far more difficult to make. The pure buckwheat variety has no elasticity, making it so hard to handle that producing it by hand takes years to master. It also requires special handling to make industrially.

All soba tastes nutty and faintly bitter, but the more buckwheat flour used, the stronger the flavor. Soba noodles made with wheat flour are milder tasting, and the wheat's gluten also makes them easier to cook.

While the full flavor of soba makes it ideal for simple dishes (in Japan, it is frequently served cold, accompanied by a soy dipping sauce) it also stands up to full-flavored dishes like this salad, which includes shiitake mushrooms, salmon, green beans, and scallions, plus a ginger-flavored dressing.

Always undercook soba, leaving it still hard at the very center. Immediately rinse the hot, drained pasta in cold water to stop it cooking, and to rinse off surface starch so the noodles do not stick together. The cooked noodles keep in the refrigerator, so you can do all this ahead.

Source: Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research