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Asian Pasta Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Asian noodle salad with sesame-ginger dressing featuring spaghetti, edamame, crunchy cabbage, and carrots. Chilled for 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the ginger garlic soy dressing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Calories: 560
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Spaghetti or linguine
  • 1 lb spaghetti or linguine
Edamame
  • 2 cup edamame, shelled
Red cabbage
  • 2 cup red cabbage, shredded
Carrots
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
Red bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
Rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
Sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
Honey
  • 1 tbsp honey
Fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
Garlic
  • 2 garlic, minced
Green onions
  • 0.25 cup green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Salt
  • salt
Black pepper
  • pepper

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook the spaghetti or linguine according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking (keep it cool and springy).
Make the ginger-sesame dressing
  1. Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and glossy.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled pasta, shelled edamame, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced red bell pepper in a large bowl for an even mix of color.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is coated so the pasta looks lightly lacquered.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld and the salad turn satisfyingly chilled.
Finish and serve
  1. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds right before serving for a fresh crunch and visible sesame specks.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse pasta under cold water thoroughly so it doesn’t clump, then chill the whole salad uncovered for the first 15 minutes before covering. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days; the flavors deepen after chilling. Freezing is not recommended because cabbage and vegetables soften. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free spaghetti and check that your soy sauce is gluten-free.