From Karen Lee’s The Occasional Vegetarian (1995)
This
recipe makes three main servings. Double or triple as you wish for a crowd.
- 1 carrot, scrubbed but not peeled, cut on a slant
- 1-1/2 cups snow peas or sugar snap peas, strung and left whole
- ½ pound bow-tie pasta or other dried or short pasta
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ T sesame oil
- 2 T roasted pine nuts
- 1 T roasted sesame seeds
- 1-1/2 T peanut oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped (or more to taste
- 1 T pickled or fresh ginger, or more to taste, cut into thin strips (scrubbed but not peeled)
- 1/2cup red or yellow pepper in strips
- 2 whole scallions cut into ¼ inch rounds
Dressing: 2 T sherry vinegar, 2 T soy sauce, ½ T peanut oil, ½ T sesame oil, ¼ tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven
to 325 degrees.
- Blanch or steam the carrots for 3 minutes, then add snow peas and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove the vegetables from the steamer and place in a bowl of ice-cold water for 1-2 minutes until cool.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the bow ties and salt and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and plunge it into ice water. Drain again and then toss with ½ T sesame oil.
- While pasta is cooking, roast the pine nuts in the oven for 10 minutes, or until light brown. Place wok or iron skillet over high heat for one minute. Turn the heat to low and add sesame seeds. Dry-roast for a few minutes or until they turn brown. Set sesame seeds and pine nuts aside.
- Heat ½ T peanut oil in the work or skillet for one minute. Add garlic and let it sizzle a few seconds. Add ginger and stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon for another minute. Set aside.
- Combine the pasta, ginger, garlic, peppers, scallions, carrots and snow peas in a large bowl. Mix the dressing, add to the bowl and toss well.
Garnish with
the reserved sesame seeds and pine nuts. Serve.
