This is from Melissa Clark via the New York Times. I made the recipe pretty much as is, except I halved it because it makes a ton! The unexpected addition here is the chopped candied ginger – and I have to agree with Melissa – it is a worthwhile addition. In fact I’ll probably add more next time. Super easy and super quick. Double the ingredients to make the full batch.

Ingredients

8 ounces Chinese egg noodles, spaghetti or linguine (I used Taiwanese noodles)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp chile crisp, more to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 medium cucumber, halved and sliced into 1/4″ pieces
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger (add more if you like ginger)
2 tsp fresh lime juice, more to taste
Chopped cilantro or basil (optional), for serving
Chopped peanuts for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about ⅔ cup of starchy pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, chile crisp, sesame oil and fresh ginger. Whisk in enough of the pasta water to make a loose, smooth dressing.

Add the cucumber slices to the bowl on top of the dressing.

Add the drained pasta, scallions, crystallized ginger and lime juice to the bowl and toss well, adding more pasta water if needed to make a glossy dressing. Taste and add more chile crisp, soy sauce and lime juice as needed.

Top with peanuts, cilantro and extra ginger if you like.

Yum! This recipe is great the next day, too.