Thai Noodles

At work we have a small Food Club, and each week two coworkers bring in treats for the club. This week, one of my coworkers brought in Thai Noodles. I thought it was so delicious that I asked her for the recipe and made the dish for myself tonight. The recipe is originally from Ina Garten and she calls it Crunchy Noodle Salad. I'll just keep it simple and call it Thai Noodles. I made a few adjustments based on what I like and what I wanted. The original recipe was really heavy on the oil, so I reduced it. The dish was still too oily for me, so I halved the amount of oil in my recipe here. Next time I make it, I might reduce it even more and maybe try a different oil, like olive oil. I think the best thing to do is to just add the oil gradually. The great thing about this dish is that it can be served both warm and cold; I prefer it warm.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup smooth/creamy peanut butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, dried or freshly grated
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (Sambal Oelek), or more to taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil, more as needed
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 14-ounce block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and diced in cubes
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, ends removed, and cut in pieces
1 large or 2 medium red bell pepper, cored, ribs removed, and diced
4 scallions/green onions, sliced

Directions:
1. For the dressing, combine the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, and vegetable oil, and 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. While the spaghetti is cooking, saute the tofu in a large skillet on medium heat with a bit of vegetable oil. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the tofu browns.

4. Combine the spaghetti, tofu, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and scallions in a large bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and toss everything together. Save the remaining dressing to top individual portions.