Easy Sesame Noodles

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These flavorful sesame noodles are a great choice when you want something more than plain rice with an Asian-style meal. The noodles are flavored with sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, and soy sauce. I add steamed peas and carrots, but you can add a different vegetable if you have another favorite.

This is also a versatile dish. Add meat, chicken, or shrimp for a more substantial dish, or add some sautéed mushrooms or peppers for more flavor and color. If you like spicy food, feel free to add extra chili crisp, sambal, or Sriracha to the noodles.

What You’ll Like About This Recipe

• Fast and truly easy. The sauce comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta, so you can have sesame noodles on the table in about 20 minutes with very little hands-on work.
• Serve warm or chilled. These noodles are delicious hot right after tossing with the sauce, but they’re also excellent at room temperature or cold, which makes them ideal for lunches and potlucks.
• Flexible base for add-ins. The recipe is written with optional peas and carrots, but it also works well with extra vegetables, leftover chicken, tofu, or shrimp, so you can easily turn it into a full meal.

Ingredient Notes

• Spaghetti – Regular or thin spaghetti absorbs the sauce nicely. Cook it just to al dente so it doesn’t go soft as you toss and, if serving later, as it sits.
• Chili crisp – This chili oil condiment adds heat, crunch, and umami. Different brands vary in spice level, so start with the suggested amount and let people add more at the table if they like it spicier.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic gives the sauce its savory backbone. It only needs a short time in the hot oil; cook until fragrant, not browned, to avoid bitterness.
• Soy sauce – Regular or low-sodium soy sauce provides saltiness and depth. Since the pasta is cooked in salted water, taste before adding extra salty ingredients.
• Rice vinegar – Mild rice vinegar adds a gentle tang that keeps the noodles from tasting heavy. Avoid stronger vinegars like white or cider here, which can overwhelm the sesame flavor.
• Brown sugar – A small amount of brown sugar balances the salt and heat and adds a subtle molasses note to the sauce.
• Toasted sesame oil – This is the key flavor in sesame noodles. It’s very aromatic, so it’s best added off the heat or at the end of cooking to preserve its nutty fragrance.
• Green onions – Thinly sliced green onions add freshness and color. They’re stirred into the hot noodles so they soften slightly but still keep some crunch.
• Peas and carrots (optional) – Steamed frozen peas and carrots make the dish more colorful and more substantial. Use them when you want the noodles to function as a side-plus-veg in one bowl.
• Chopped peanuts or sesame seeds – These add a little crunch on top and reinforce the nutty sesame flavor. Use roasted peanuts or toasted sesame seeds for the best taste.

Steps to Make Easy Sesame Noodles

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente so it holds its texture when tossed with the sauce.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chili crisp and cook briefly until the garlic is fragrant and the oil is infused.
3. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil until the sugar dissolves and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
4. Steam the peas and carrots, if using, until hot and just tender, and set them aside.
5. Drain the cooked spaghetti well and transfer it to a large bowl or back into the warm pot. Pour the sesame sauce over the hot noodles and add the sliced green onions and peas and carrots, if using.
6. Toss everything together with tongs until the noodles are evenly coated and the vegetables and green onions are well distributed.
7. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the top with chopped peanuts or sesame seeds just before serving.

Pro Tips

• Salt the pasta water generously so the noodles are seasoned from the start; the sauce is flavorful, but properly salted pasta makes the whole dish taste better.
• Stir the chili crisp before measuring so you get a good mix of oil and crunchy bits, not just the oil from the top of the jar.
• Heat the garlic and chili crisp gently; if the garlic darkens too much, it can make the sauce taste harsh or bitter.
• Toss the noodles with the sauce while they’re still hot so they absorb more flavor and the sauce coats them evenly.
• Reserve a small splash of pasta water before draining if you like a looser sauce; you can add a spoonful or two while tossing to help the sauce cling.

Recipe Variations

• Extra-vegetable sesame noodles. Add shredded cabbage, thinly sliced bell peppers, cucumber matchsticks, or snap peas along with the green onions. The extra crunch makes the noodles feel lighter and more salad-like.
• Peanut sesame noodles. Stir a spoonful of smooth peanut butter into the warm sauce and thin it with a bit of pasta water as needed. The result is a creamier, nutty sauce that’s great served warm or chilled.
• Milder family-friendly noodles. Reduce the chili crisp or omit it from the sauce and serve it on the side, allowing each person to add a bit to their bowl according to their heat preference.

How to Store

• Refrigerate: Cool leftover sesame noodles to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The noodles may absorb some of the sauce as they sit, so they’ll taste more intense and slightly drier.
• Reheat: If you prefer the noodles warm, reheat gently in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat with a small splash of water or a bit more soy sauce and sesame oil to loosen the sauce. Stir once or twice so they heat evenly.
• Refresh: For cold or room-temperature noodles, loosen them with a fork and toss with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil, soy sauce, or rice vinegar just before serving. This wakes up the flavors and brings back some of the original shine and texture.