2 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
For the Sauce:
2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari/soy sauce
2 TBSP broth (veggie or chicken)
2 TBSP mirin
a pinch of cayenne
1 TBSP natural sugar (optional)
For the Asparagus:
1 TBSP coconut oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger powder
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths
1/4 cup water
1 tsp tamari/soy sauce
2 scallions or chives thinly sliced (optional)
- Toast sesame seeds & pour them into a small bowl to cool.
- Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, mirin, cayenne & stevia in small bowl & set aside.
- Start cooking pasta.
- Heat coconut oil in large saute pan over medium heat.
- Add garlic & ginger & cook 1 min.
- Add asparagus & stir fry 1 min more.
- Pour in the water & cover pan.
- Cook covered until asparagus is tender, but still bright green (about 4 mins).
- Add soy sauce (1 tsp) & scallions (if using) into saute pan with asparagus.
- Drain / rinse the noodles & return to same pot you cooked them in. Pour sauce over noodles & toss well to combine.
- Serve noodles with asparagus over the top and garnish with sesame seeds.
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SIDE NOTES:
~ This is sooo easy because it’s a no-cook sauce (just mixing a few things together in a bowl). It’s a family favorite.
~ To toast sesame seeds, put them in a dry skillet over low heat & cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Sometimes you can purchase sesame seeds pre-toasted.
~ If I don’t have any broth on hand, I just use water.
~ Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine (will be in a bottle similar to soy sauce, and near the soy sauce for that matter). Check your local health food store if your regular supermarket doesn’t have it – as the dish is not the same without it. If you can find it, I recommend Eden brand, as some of the others contain undesirable additives. And in fact, years ago, when I first started making this recipe, unknowingly, I was using a brand that contained a low-fi sweetener. When I switched to Eden’s mirin, we missed the slight sweetness to this recipe so that’s why I started using a little bit of stevia. I like “SweetLeaf’s Stevia Clear”. If you prefer to use sugar, you can try using about one TBSP.
~ It’s spicy with the cayenne, so best to serve kids before mixing it in. Just to give you an idea – an eighth of a tsp makes this dish very spicy – ok for adults who like a lot of heat, but not so much for the kids.
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free, Vegan, RawIf eating gluten free, use an appropriate pasta (brown rice pasta is our personal preference), and a gluten free tamari. Also, be sure to double check labels of any packaged products such as mirin. If on a strictly sugar free diet, be careful with your choice of mirin.