Cold Sesame Noodles

These spicy and fresh Cold Sesame Noodles are going to wow your family and friends (and you too, because they take only about 20 minutes to prepare!) While your pasta water is coming to a boil, you can start on your veggie prep, then the rest couldn’t be simpler. Once the pasta is done cooking, just toss everything together with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame seeds, all those crisp, colorful veggies, and a squeeze of lime. This cold sesame noodle salad is best served chilled, in my opinion, but you can enjoy it warm, too!

A Quick and Easy Sesame Noodle Salad

These cold sesame noodles are an easy, budget-friendly lunch or side dish with cold noodles, crisp vegetables, and a light sesame dressing that does a lot with just a few ingredients. I use regular spaghetti here because it’s inexpensive, easy to find, and so good once it’s chilled. The dressing is light instead of creamy, with toasted sesame oil bringing that nutty flavor and lime and sriracha keeping everything bright, fresh, and just spicy enough.

Then come the vegetables, which make this feel like more than just a bowl of noodles. The bell pepper adds crunch, the grape tomatoes keep things juicy, and the basil and green onions give the whole bowl a fresh finish. I like to chill these cold sesame noodles and give everything one more toss before serving, because cold pasta can tighten up a bit in the fridge, and that final toss helps redistribute the dressing. Looking for a warm and cozy noodle dish instead? Then our garlic noodles are always a good move.