Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

• 16 oz of uncooked noodles *
• Thumb-size piece of ginger root
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2-3 bird’s eye chilis
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorn oil **
• 1/2 cup reserved noodle water

1. Finely chop ginger, garlic, and chilis. Add to a small bowl.
2. In the same bowl, add peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and peppercorn oil. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
3. Boil noodles til al dente.
4. Drain noodles, but reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid. Return noodles to pot.
5. Add reserved liquid to sauce bowl and mix well.
6. Add sauce to cooked noodles, stir, and cook on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until everything is combined.

*I’ve used various kinds of long noodles for this recipe. Most of the time I’m making this in a pinch, and I just use whole wheat spaghetti. I like the texture and I always have some on hand.

**I buy this oil at Asian markets. It adds a distinct numbing sensation to the dish, characteristic of Szechuan food. I LOVE this taste/sensation, but I know it’s not for everyone. Feel free to omit and replace with a neutral oil.

Note: This is the “base recipe.” I usually air fry a block of firm tofu, steam my choice of veggies on the side, and toss everything together with the noodles at the end. Sometimes I top with sesame seed, green onions, or crushed peanuts.