Elise's Betz's Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

1. 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti (I used soba, a Japanese buckwheat noodle)
   
2. 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3. 2 tablespoons sesame oil
4. 2 tablespoons canola oil
5. 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar or lime juice
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
7. 1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
8. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided (optional --are you kidding me?)
9. 4 cups snow peas, trimmed and sliced on the bias (I had to do some research, and I believe this means to cut diagonally...please correct me if I'm wrong).
   
10. 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
11. 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain; rinse under cold water.
2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar (or lime juice), crushed red pepper, 1/4 cup scallions and 2 tablespoons cilantro (if using). Add noodles, snow peas and bell pepper; toss to coat.
3. To serve, mix in sesame seeds and garnish with the remaining scallions and cilantro.

Yield: 8 servings (Wow! Big recipe! I quartered it).

These noodles were soooo yummy! The red pepper flakes added just the right amount of kick. I made them as above, but for a protein boost, I suppose you could throw in some scrimps, chicken or tofu.