Pasta is a comfort food. It is easy to make and easy to like. My favorite whole grain pastas can be found in the Japanese-macrobiotic section of your natural foods store. Try some brown rice noodles or soba noodles (made from buckwheat). These hand made Japanese noodles add a whole new light to our experience of pasta.
- Cook noodles in rolling boiling water using a lot of water, because you want the water to continue boiling, even as you add the noodles.
- To prevent the noodles from sticking together, add a tiny bit of oil.
- After 5 minutes, stand by the stove to keep watch for the moment the noodles are tender.
- Sample a strain with your fork.
- Have a colander ready in the sink.
- When the noodles are done, pour them in the colander.
- Rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking and to keep the noodles from sticking together.
The noodles are ready now to be topped with steamed veggies, gomasio, sauce. . . . The following sauces are especially good.
- Combine ½ cup of freshly ground sesame seeds
- ½ cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of brown rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
- Minced garlic (omit garlic for a milder sauce)
- 2 tablespoons (or less, because of salt factor) of shoyu
- Store in the refrigerator
- This sauce goes well on noodles as well as rice and veggies.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoons (or less) shoyu
- 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
- Pour over noodles and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and diagonally sliced scallions
- Chop up a bunch of basil, parsley or cilantro
- Add ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons (or less) of miso
- ½ cup of ground up sesame seeds (or walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts)
- Mix and grind in a suribachi or a food processor