Sichuan Pesto Noodles
There are lots of ways to add spice to your meals, but when we’re looking for something really special, we turn to Sichuan peppercorns. These peppers bring a unique herbal spice with a gentle numbing effect to the lips and tongue. You’ve probably encountered them in Chinese food dishes like Sichuan Chicken, and they’re also surprisingly great to add depth to a sweet dish, like Chocolate Brioche. Paired with a few other unexpected ingredients, these peppercorns add new intrigue to the old standby of pesto and pasta.
Ingredients :
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds
- 1 Tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns, ground in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- 4 cups fresh basil
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp. white or black pepper
- 4 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb. Chinese egg noodles, fresh or dried
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Directions :
- In a food processor, blend almonds, ground Sichuan peppercorns, basil, garlic, and pepper until finely ground.
- Add soy sauce and sesame oil and, while the machine is running, drizzle in vegetable oil.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente, about 3 minutes for fresh and 6 to 8 minutes for dried. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining, and transfer noodles to a large bowl.
- Add ¾ cup pesto to bowl and toss until combined. Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water and toss, adding more as needed to help coat noodles.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds before serving.
