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900-g pkg spaghettini or spaghetti pasta
1 English cucumber
6 green onions
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
lime zest, from 1 lime
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger, or 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger or bottled minced ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, optional
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta. Stir to separate. Boil, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes for spaghettini and 11 minutes for spaghetti. Drain well. Do not rinse. Place in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard seeds. Place each half cut-side down on a cutting board, then thinly slice. Slice green onions diagonally. In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce with vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, lime peel and juice. Stir in ginger, making sure it doesn't clump together. Pour dressing overtop drained hot pasta and toss gently to combine, making sure ginger is evenly distributed. Stir in cucumber and green onions. Taste and stir in salt, coriander and peanuts, if using.
Calories 331, Protein 10.4g, Carbohydrates 60.4g, Fat 5.2g, Fibre 3.7g, Sodium 787mg.
Good old pasta salad gets a flavour wake-up with bursts of fresh lime juice, ginger and cool cucumber.
Prepare salad but don't add coriander or peanuts. Refrigerate immediately. When cool, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Just before serving, if pasta is not moist enough, stir in a little olive oil, then coriander and peanuts.