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Asian Pasta Salad

Asian pasta salad with a bright sesame-ginger dressing and al dente noodles tossed with shredded cabbage, carrots, edamame, and herbs. Cool-rinsed pasta stays springy while the crunchy cabbage and carrots stay vibrant after a short chill.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
  • 2 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup shelled edamame
  • 3 green onions
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro
  • 0.25 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Sesame-ginger dressing
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp ginger, grated
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sriracha

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a Dutch oven of salted water to a boil, then cook the linguine or spaghetti until al dente (about 9–11 minutes). Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop cooking, then spread on a sheet pan to cool.
Make the sesame-ginger dressing
  1. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, peanut butter, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sriracha until smooth and fully blended.
Assemble the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, shelled edamame, and sliced green onions.
  2. Pour the sesame-ginger dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
  3. Fold in the cilantro, then refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors meld and the noodles chill.
Finish and serve
  1. Before serving, top the salad with the roasted peanuts.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the cooked pasta well and cool it completely before dressing so it doesn’t dilute the sauce. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; the noodles stay crispest within that window. Freezing is not recommended as the cabbage and edamame soften. If you want a nut-free version, replace the peanut butter with an equal amount of sunflower seed butter and use toasted sunflower seeds instead of peanuts.