Mix it Up: Szechuan Noodles

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Szechuan Noodles
The Barefoot Contessa
Serves: 6 - 8
Cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup good soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
- 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
- 4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

Directions
Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Ad the vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil and ground peppers.  Puree the sauce.
Add a splash of a oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente.
Drain the pasta, place it in a large bowl.  While still warm, toss with 3/4 of the sauce.
Add the red and yellow bell peppers and scallions; toss well.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
The remaining sauce may be added, as needed, to moisten the pasta.

*I know the ingredient list looks rather long, and you probably don't have these stocked up on your spice rack, but I agree with Black*Eiffel - "Once you have all the ingredients for this {dish} it's a real sinch to make."  My mom makes a great pasta like this, I think I wanna try this one with her to see how we like it.