Sesame Peanut Soba

When frequenting our local Asian eateries one of our favorite appetizers of all time is sesame cold noodle. The only downside is that I get beyond full before I'm served my entree, so approach with caution; it's seriously the mac and cheese of Asian cooking, a heavy noodle dish that will bring on a food coma faster than you can say "carbo-load." For this recipe, I lightened it up by using soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles that are traditionally eaten hot in a broth or cold with a dipping sauce. Soba is a great alternative if you're trying to limit your wheat intake and is higher in essential amino acids and antioxidants than regular pasta. At home, we eat it as a main dish or served alongside weekday tofu. Enjoy. [[jessica]]

Sesame Peanut Soba Noodles
8 oz soba noodles
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 Tb soy sauce
1/4 cup warm water
2 Tb lime juice
1 Tb sesame oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp agave
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1 Tb sesame seeds

- Cook pasta in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
- To make dressing, whisk together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Toss cooked soba noodles with dressing and serve warm or refrigerate and serve as a cold noodle salad. The longer the noodles sit in the sauce the thicker they become so its better to toss right before serving.