These spicy and fresh Cold Sesame Noodles are going to wow your family and friends (and you too, because they take only about 20 minutes to prepare!) While your pasta water is coming to a boil, you can start on your veggie prep, then the rest couldn’t be simpler. Once the pasta is done cooking, just toss everything together with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame seeds, all those crisp, colorful veggies, and a squeeze of lime. This cold sesame noodle salad is best served chilled, in my opinion, but you can enjoy it warm, too!
A Quick and Easy Sesame Noodle Salad
These cold sesame noodles are an easy, budget-friendly lunch or side dish with cold noodles, crisp vegetables, and a light sesame dressing that does a lot with just a few ingredients. I use regular spaghetti here because it’s inexpensive, easy to find, and so good once it’s chilled. The dressing is light instead of creamy, with toasted sesame oil bringing that nutty flavor and lime and sriracha keeping everything bright, fresh, and just spicy enough.
Then come the vegetables, which make this feel like more than just a bowl of noodles. The bell pepper adds crunch, the grape tomatoes keep things juicy, and the basil and green onions give the whole bowl a fresh finish. I like to chill these cold sesame noodles and give everything one more toss before serving, because cold pasta can tighten up a bit in the fridge, and that final toss helps redistribute the dressing. Looking for a warm and cozy noodle dish instead? Then our garlic noodles are always a good move. 😋
Recipe Success Tips
- Cook the spaghetti just to al dente. Cooked pasta gets even softer once it’s rinsed, chilled, and tossed with dressing, so don’t take it too far in the pot. The noodles should be tender, but still have a little firmness in the center when you bite into one. That small bit of texture helps them hold up in this noodle salad instead of turning mushy.
- Rinse until cool, then drain really well. Rinsing the cooked noodles with cold water stops the cooking and cools them quickly, which is exactly what you want for a cold noodle salad. But don’t rush the draining! Extra water will dilute the soy sauce, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil, making the dressing taste flat. I shake the colander really well, then let the noodles sit for a minute before adding them to the bowl.
- Taste again after chilling. Cold can dull flavors a little, and pasta loves to soak up dressing as it sits. Before serving, give the noodles one more toss and taste them. If they need a little boost, I’d add an extra squeeze of lime, a small splash of soy sauce, or a little more sriracha.
- Adjust the spice for your table. If you’re feeding kids or anyone who isn’t into spicy food, you can put the bottle of sriracha on the side and omit it from the dressing to make it more palatable for everyone!
- Budget-saving tip: Grape tomatoes hold their shape and don’t release too much liquid, which is also why they work so well in our classic pasta salad recipe. However, Roma tomatoes are usually cheaper, so they’re a good budget swap. Scoop out some of the seeds before chopping to keep the salad from getting watery, if desired.
Cold Sesame Noodles
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Noodle Salad Ingredients
- ½ lb. spaghetti uncooked, $0.49*
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thin, (julienne cut) $1.48**
- ½ cup grape tomatoes quartered, $0.75
- ½ clamshell fresh basil minced, (0.25 oz) $0.89
- 3 green onions sliced, $1.04
- 1 lime $0.25
Sesame Dressing Ingredients
- ½ Tbsp sriracha $0.05
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds $0.42
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil $0.64***
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce $0.10
Instructions
- Gather ingredients. Set water to boil for the spaghetti noodles.
- Meanwhile, prepare fresh ingredients: quarter the lime, julienne the red bell pepper, quarter the grape tomatoes, mince the basil, and slice the green onions.
- Add spaghetti to the boiling water and boil for 12 minutes, or until al dente.
- Drain cooked pasta and rinse with cold water.
- Pour the cooked spaghetti into a large mixing bowl with the bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, onions, sriracha, sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce.
- Toss everything together and let it chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Give it another toss before you enjoy and serve each bowl with a lime wedge for squeezing over top!
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Notes
Nutrition
how to make Cold Sesame Noodles Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients before you start. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the ½ lb. spaghetti. The water should be bubbling steadily before you add the noodles.
Prep the fresh ingredients: While the water comes to a boil, cut 1 lime into wedges, thinly slice 1 red bell pepper into thin strips, quarter ½ cup grape tomatoes, mince ½ a clamshell of fresh basil, and slice 3 green onions. I try to keep the bell pepper pieces fairly thin, so they mix easily into the noodles and are easier to eat in each bite.
Cook the noodles: Once the water is boiling, add the ½ lb. spaghetti and gently stir so the noodles don’t stick together. Boil for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is al dente. To check, carefully taste one noodle. It should be tender but still slightly firm in the center.
Cool the noodles: Drain the cooked spaghetti in a colander, then rinse it under cold running water. Toss the noodles gently with your hands or tongs as you rinse so they cool evenly and don’t clump together. Keep rinsing until the noodles feel cool to the touch and no steam is rising from them. This stops the cooking process and helps keep the pasta firm for the chilled spaghetti salad.
Let the spaghetti drain really well for a minute or two after rinsing. Shake the colander gently to remove extra water. If the noodles are too wet, the sauce can taste diluted and won’t cling as well.
Combine all the ingredients: Transfer the cooled spaghetti to a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced red bell pepper, quartered grape tomatoes, minced basil, sliced green onions, ½ Tbsp sriracha, 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Use tongs to toss everything together until the noodles are evenly coated. The spaghetti should look glossy from the sesame oil and soy sauce, and the vegetables should be spread throughout instead of sitting in one spot.
Chill and serve: Now cover the bowl and chill the cold sesame noodles in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Before serving, toss it again from the bottom of the bowl, since some of the dressing may settle as it sits. Serve each bowl with a lime wedge for squeezing, and enjoy!
What Else Can I Add?
These cold sesame noodles are super easy to bulk up, so use them as a reason to clear out your fridge if you have a few extra ingredients hanging around!
- Protein: Add some grilled shrimp, leftover cooked chicken (shredded or diced), or air fryer tofu to turn this into a fuller meal. Edamame or a jammy egg would also fit really well with the sesame, lime, and soy sauce flavors (and would keep the meal veggie-friendly!)
- Carrots: Toss in raw, shredded, or very thinly sliced carrots for extra color and natural sweetness.
- Bean sprouts: Mix them in as-is right before serving. They add a fresh, crisp texture without much prep at all!
- Cucumber: Diced cucumber makes the salad even cooler and crunchier, which is especially nice if you’re serving it straight from the fridge.
- Shredded cabbage: Add a handful of shredded green or red cabbage, or use a little bagged coleslaw mix to keep prep easy. It adds lots of crunch and helps stretch the salad further.
- Snap peas: These will add a sweet and crisp bite. I also think they hold up really well after chilling.
- Peanuts: Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top right before serving for crunch. They also add a little extra protein and richness, which helps make these cold sesame noodles feel more filling.
- Honey: Add 1 teaspoon of honey to the dressing for some sweetness to balance the bold flavors, if you like. I’d start small, then add more only if you want it sweeter.
Serving Suggestions
These cold sesame noodles are great on their own for a light lunch, especially when the weather is hot, and I don’t want anything heavy. If you want to turn them into a bigger meal, serve them with dumplings, spring rolls, or a simple grilled main, so the noodles can add something cool and fresh on the side.
For a full dinner, my family loves this sesame noodle salad with our teriyaki chicken kabobs because the chicken is sweet and savory, while the noodles keep the plate feeling fresh. This Thai cucumber salad is another great match because it’s also made with toasted sesame oil, so you can get extra use out of the same bottle and keep the flavors flowing nicely across the meal! And I’d definitely recommend these noodles alongside turkey burgers at a cookout when you want a pasta salad that feels a little lighter and brighter than the usual options.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The noodles will continue to absorb the dressing in storage, and the basil may darken a little, but the flavor will still be good! Give everything a thorough toss before serving, and add a small squeeze of lime or a splash of soy sauce if it needs a little refresh.
Room Temperature
Keep these noodles chilled until serving. If they’re sitting out at a picnic, potluck, or cookout, don’t leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If it’s very hot outside, around 90°F or above, keep that window to 1 hour. After that, it’s safest to pack the noodles back into the refrigerator.
Freezing
This isn’t a recipe I’d recommend freezing. The spaghetti can turn soft after thawing, and the fresh tomatoes, basil, and bell pepper will lose their texture.
Other Cold Noodle Salads I Love:
- Our Cold Peanut Noodle Salad brings cold noodles, crunchy cabbage, carrots, and that tangy peanut lime dressing together in the best summer lunch way.
- The peanut lime dressing alone makes these Peanut Tofu Noodle Bowls worth making, especially if you’re into bright, nutty noodle bowls (like I am!).
- I love how this Ramen Noodle Salad turns simple cabbage, carrots, and ramen noodles into something everyone wants seconds of!
Try These Noodle Recipes Next
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Hello, my name is SURESH KUMAR. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean. 
