Whole Wheat Sesame Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

The last few days of school are pretty tough on teachers, so I wanted to get this posted in case I end up spending the next few nights on the couch instead of blogging. Luckily I've got some of these delicious sesame noodles in the fridge to get me through it! When I read on Everything Rachel Ray about how Madeline used whole wheat spaghetti to make spicy sesame noodles, I told her I would be making this dish. I love Madeline's blog, even though I think this may be only the second time I've ever made a Rachel Ray recipe. I know the uber-successful and bubbly Ms. Ray has her critics, but personally I think RR deserves a lot of credit for inspiring a whole generation of young women to cook at home. So hat's off to Rachel for this quick, easy, and absolutely delicious recipe, and I do see why Madeline says this is one of her favorites.

One thing that bumped the recipe out of my huge "must try" pile and on to my kitchen counter was the incredible find of Garofalo Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti at Costco. I looked at it a couple of times before I invested in a pack with 9 pounds of whole wheat spaghetti, but now that I've tried it, I know I'll be buying more. (Edit - I at Costco last night and it's actually 8 pounds of spaghetti for about $10.)If you haven't had good luck with whole wheat pasta, I guarantee this Italian whole wheat pasta will change your mind. (It's from Italy. Need I say more?) Wikipedia explains what "whole wheat" flour means, and for anyone who's concerned about the glycemic index, whole wheat bread or pasta is always a better choice. The World's Healthiest Foods site also does a good job of explaining why whole wheat is so nutritious. Since you can write about any herb, plant, veggie, or flower for Weekend Herb Blogging, and wheat is definitely a plant, this is my entry for the week, being submitted to Wandering Chopsticks. Check the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging and where to send your entry if you'd like to participate.

Whole Wheat Sesame Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe adapted slightly from Rachel Ray's Hot and Cold Sesame Noodles, which were mentioned in this post on Everything Rachel Ray.

1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 tsp. salt, added to water for cooking pasta
1/4 cup Tamari (or Soy sauce of your choice)
1/4 cup natural (low sugar) peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 T sesame oil
1 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce (the original recipe used a lot more, so use as much as your mouth can handle)
2 cups shredded napa cabbage (original recipe used coleslaw mix, which would be great in this)
1 cup (or more) sliced sugar snap peas (next time I might also add some shredded carrots or thinly sliced red pepper for color)
3 scallions, cut in thin diagonal slices
2 T sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds, but white ones would also be good)

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil, then add spaghetti and cook until barely al dente (The spaghetti should still be slightly chewy. I cooked this pasta not quite 9 minutes.) Drain spaghetti into a colander placed in the sink, then rinse with very cold water and let drain well.

While spaghetti cooks, combine Tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and hot sauce in a large plastic bowl. Heat peanut butter in microwave for 10-15 seconds, then whisk it into the other sauce ingredients in the bowl.

Thinly slice cabbage (or remove 2 cups coleslaw mix if using that) and slice snap peas and green onions. Put sesame seeds in a small frying pan on the stove, ready to be toasted when the dish is done.

When spaghetti is well drained, add noodles and veggies to the bowl where you combined sauce ingredients, and toss to combine and coat noodles with sauce. Toast sesame seeds for 1 or 2 minutes over high heat (only 1 minute for black sesame seeds) and sprinkle over noodles.

South Beach Suggestions:
Made with whole wheat spaghetti, this is a perfect dish for phase two or three of the South Beach Diet or any Low-Glycemic eating plan. (You could also use Dreamfields Low Carb Spaghetti, but the whole wheat spaghetti was really flavorful in this dish.)

More Bloggers Who've Raved Over Whole Wheat Pasta:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken Sauce and Portobello Tomato Sauce from Christine Cooks
Whole Wheat Angel Hair with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese from Pinch My Salt
Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Olives from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Whole Wheat Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts, and Feta from Smitten Kitchen
Whole Wheat Pasta with Grilled Vegetables from The Leftover Queen
Whole Wheat Pasts with Caulflower, Walnuts, and Ricotta Salata from Cook, Eat, Fret
Baked Whole Wheat Pasta Casserole from 101 Cookbooks
Whole Wheat Pasta with Lentils, Leeks, and Spinach from The Slow Cook
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Almond Pesto Sauce from Cafe Fernando
Whole Wheat Pasta Arrabiatta with Arugula from Culinary in the Country

Want even more whole wheat pasta recipes?
I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.

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