10-Minute Chili Oil Noodles

INGREDIENTS

• 14 oz dried pappardelle pasta
• 1 cucumber, sliced into long fine strips

Spicy sauce:

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 4 tbsp Crispy Chilli Oil (make your own or store bought)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar* 
• 2 tsp sweet dark soy sauce

Note: You can find Chinese chinkiang black vinegar in an Asian grocer. If you can’t get a hold of it, you could also use a mix of balsamic and white vinegar instead.

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the pappardelle in boiling salted water according to packet instructions (boil the kettle to give you a head start on the water!).
2. For the spicy sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until just hot. In the meantime, peel and finely chop the garlic. Add to a large heatproof bowl, followed by the chilli powder and sesame seeds. Finely chop some of the coriander stems and add those too, reserving the leaves for later. Add the chilli oil or crisp, then the soy sauce, vinegar and sweet dark soy sauce. Give everything a mix until well combined.
3. Once the oil is hot, pour it over the spicy sauce mixture and stir to combine.
4. Use tongs to transfer the hot pasta into the spicy sauce mixture. Toss until well combined. Divide among serving bowls and top with cucumber and roughly chopped coriander leaves.