Description
This refreshing Asian Pasta Salad combines tender linguine with crisp vegetables and a flavorful, tangy dressing featuring soy sauce, sesame oil, and a touch of sweetness. Perfect as a light meal or side dish, it is best served chilled after marinating for a couple of hours or overnight to let the flavors meld beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Vegetables
- 8 ounces linguine pasta
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
Dressing
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the linguine pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the noodles completely.
- Combine Vegetables and Pasta: Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced green onions, matchstick carrots, diced red bell pepper, and chopped celery. Gently toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly distributed throughout the pasta.
- Prepare and Add Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce, vegetable oil, light brown sugar, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and dried or fresh ginger until the sugar dissolves and the dressing is well combined. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture and gently toss to coat all the ingredients evenly.
- Chill and Marinate: Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Allow the salad to chill and marinate for at least 2 hours, though overnight is recommended for the best flavor integration.
Notes
- Using low-sodium soy sauce helps control the salt content in this dish.
- For best flavor, let the salad marinate overnight before serving.
- Feel free to substitute or add other crunchy vegetables like cucumber or snap peas.
- Adjust the sweetness or spiciness of the dressing by modifying the amount of brown sugar and sweet chili sauce to your taste.
- This salad is ideal for meal prep as it keeps well refrigerated for up to 2 days.
