Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles Recipe (2024)

I learned how to make a version of this from a Chinese native years ago before Chinese ingredients were widely available. You can get a similar "feel" by substituting thick (or standard) spaghetti for Chinese noodles, substituting toasted sesame oil for the paste (but don't omit the p'nut butter, smooth or crunchy), adding cayenne pepper if you don't have chili-garlic paste, and using any thin, crunchy vegetables to garnish, including beansprouts, fresh cilantro, etc.

I have made this recipe scores of times over the years, often for a crowd. I usually multiply the sauce recipe many times (I use a stick blender), and add a fairly minimal amount of the sauce to the noodles when they're still warm (I like DeCecco linguine -- I don't have a favorite Asian brand, and Italian pasta can always be reliably cooked to the proper tooth). Chill the undersauced noodles until you are ready to serve, and then mix in as much extra sauce as you need -- no dryness!

This is tasty, but note that it's not 1 lb dried noodles - the recipe says fresh or frozen, but those are hard to find where I am, so just a note for those of us working from dry. I used 1 lb dried noodles and wound up with enough noodles to feed an army.

-It goes on picnics too. Guests are offer condiments shredded duck or chicken, tofu, cucumber, sweet red pepper, hot pepper, scallion, jicama, and so on. Keep them all about the same size with shredding or julienne. Letting guests compose their own plate accommodates herbivores and carnivores.
-Make 50% more sauce.
-Use 1 lb fresh noodles. Less of dried.

So I didn't have sesame paste, so I did what I always do... googled "How to make sesame paste". thank you tasteofhongkong.com, for the easy recipe! Ingredients 200g toasted sesame seeds plus 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Blend. Added the rest of the ingredients, and delicious.

Liked these ok, but didn't love them: The sauce had a somewhat sour back note that I found slightly unpleasant, and less sesame/peanut flavor than I would have liked. However, I learned a lesson that I keep learning: Almost all compilations get tastier over time. When I first made the sauce, blech -- I was nearly ready to throw it out. But after a night in the fridge? Pretty darn tasty. It had mellowed, become more nuanced, less sour, and altogether tastier. Food likes naps.

We do these two ways, the first served cold like this in my giant red salad bowl, garnished with cucumber but also a large mound of fresh beans sprouts, grilled chicken or tofu, cherry tomatoes, black radishes, snow peas & anything else that comes to hand. In cold weather, my old Chinese cookbook has one add the dressed noodles to a bowl of hot soup stock flavored with garlic, sliced coins of fresh ginger, dried shrimp to chase away the blues and the sniffles of dark cold winter days.

If you're making this ahead, dress the noodles with just sesame oil and not the sauce. I picked this up from a kosher cookbook, where a very similar recipe is listed for a summer Sabbath lunch. ;-)

It is important to serve this immediately after combing the cooked noodles with the sauce. I was able to source all of the ingredients and followed the instructions as stated. However, I made it about two hours before serving, which destroyed the silkiness of the sauce. In the future, I will serve immediately.

I was introduced to this famous Chinese noodle dish over thirty-five years ago by a famous (in her county/city in China) old Sichuanese cook. This recipe is pretty authentic, but a couple of notes in terms of "authenticity". Plain noodles instead of egg are also fine -- (Chinese refer to these as "yang chun mian" and they are readily available). Adding toasted and crushed Sichuan peppercorns is totally legitimate, and I always add in at least one tbsp sesame oil as well to the noodle sauce.

We enjoy soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) in this dish.

Make sure you're using 1 lb. of *fresh* noodles, not dried. If you start with 1 lb. of dried noodles, you will end up with too much noodle and not enough sauce.

Delicious & so easy. Used linguine fini pasta. Tahini worked well in place of Chinese sesame paste. Added sautéed red pepper, carrots & green beans to make it a meal. I made 1.5x the sauce on advice of other reviewers & was glad I did.

I loved it, having used lots more garlic, ginger and chili=garlic paste, and even more soy sauce, as the recipe was indeed, as Beverly says, way too bland. I also finely sliced nappa cabbage, and red onions to round out the dish. Chili sesame oil finished it nicely.

Made as written. tasted the sauce before adding to the noodles and was sure I wasn't going to like it - bitter, too much red pepper and ginger, etc - but once over the noodles the balance is there. best to sauce the noodles shortly before serving as they absorb the sauce and taste dry otherwise. Served with lots of other veggies on the side that could be added. if you are using dried noodles you will need to double the sauce.

Tahini worked as a sub. Used soba noodles. Turned out great.

I made this with chinkiang rice vinegar, Zhongba 360 soy sauce and sesame paste I splurged on from theMalamarket.Com. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.

I added fresh squeezed lime juice to brighten the flavours.

I LOVE this recipe, if you have all the ingredients it’s super easy to assemble. I use frozen minced ginger and garlic and the time from start to table is less than 15 minutes (need to wait until the water boils). I agree with others in terms of making sauce, start with the sesame paste and mix in the oil then liquids so you aren’t struggling to get it smooth. A

Need to be careful w sesame paste

I’ve been making these for a decade. I like pretty saucy noodles so I often will double the sauce. Sometimes I use whole wheat linguine for this if I don’t have nicer Asian noodles on hand and it’s great. We add tofu to make it more of a meal.

OMG! Delicious! Doubled the sauce for day 2 dryness. Upped the garlic, added chicken, scallions, and cucumber. Found fresh egg noodles and Chinese sesame paste. Incredible.

Make the sauce ahead of time to let it season. I couldn't find sesame paste but Tahini worked just fine and I also used 9 ounces of fresh spaghetti. After reading other comments I cut the sugar to 1 tsp. It was a perfect side dish for two along with scallops. I didn't use all the sauce but will add it to the small portion of leftovers. This recipe will be added to the regular rotation.

This is very easy and fast— we even have noodles for it. Great for lunch but also works in a pinch for dinner

Super simple and delicious. Flexible and forgiving. Love this recipe!

Italian bucatini are thick and round so they are the most similar to udon noodles.

Absurdly good. But as others say: double the sauce.

What exact noodles were used? Thank you

Very good. Added cubes, scallions, red pepper and rotisserie chicken. Used tahini.