Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles with Butternut Squash and Spinach

Saucy and very savory sesame noodles are tossed with sweet roasted butternut squash, spinach, and chickpeas in the takeout-at-home version of this classic noodle dish.

Hellllloooooooooo from ICU land!!!

I haven’t washed my hair in a week, but all my patients are alive!!

Seems like an even trade off.

As I’m writing this it’s Sunday night and I’m trying to stay up until 3AM so that I can sleep late in preparation for my night shift on Monday night. Either it will work or I will be a zombie come Tuesday morning. Probably the latter because I am terrribbllleee at sleeping in. (Send Ambien. Please.)

The thing about working nights is that even if I start out with the healthiest of intentions, I always end up craving something greasy and noodle-y (and french fry-y) as the night progresses. And more often than not, because I feel like I deserve to give myself a gift for tolerating such a ridiculous schedule, I give in to those cravings.

It’s so bad.

(And so good.)

So despite all the odds being against me, I’m really trying to reign myself in this month, at least in terms of my takeout ordering frequency. Hence, my current love affair with these takeout-at-home sesame noodles that are at once sweet, spicy, tangy and luxuriously sauced so that they practically melt in your mouth.

I added cubes of roasted butternut squash into the mix, and I have to say that the sweetness of the squash pairs SO WELL with the sesame sauce. Like, I think they were made for each other.

Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles with Butternut Squash and Spinach

 

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Saucy and very savory sesame noodles are tossed with sweet roasted butternut squash, spinach, and chickpeas in the takeout-at-home version of this classic noodle dish.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb chinese egg noodles
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3½ tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp chili-garlic paste
• 1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 5 oz baby spinach

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450F.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the olive oil, butternut cubes, onion slices, red pepper flakes, and salt and black pepper. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, set aside, and toss with a dash of sesame oil.
4. To make the sesame sauce, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, tahini, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, and chili-garlic paste in a medium bowl. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Add the chickpeas, spinach, red onion, and squash. Toss until combined. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Sesame sauce recipe from The New York Times

3.5.3208

More better-than-takeout meals:

Saag Paneer

Drunken Noodles

Fiery Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles