Can a person in a heatwave ever have too many cold noodle dishes? I’d wager no – hence today’s recipe. It started life as one of my favourite meals, the mighty spaghetti pomodoro, but then packed its bags and travelled through the Middle East, picking up some tahini along the way, then on to Indonesia for some heat (sambal oelek), and then hopped over to Vietnam for a final hurrah of fresh lime, coriander and peanuts. The result is a creamy but perky tomato sauce that can live in the fridge for up to a week for the too-hot-to-cook days.Cold tomato and tahini noodles with peanut, coriander and limeI’ve said “light” tahini and agave syrup (over “dark”), but if the jar or bottle doesn’t say which it is, don’t worry. Ramen noodles are available in larger supermarkets; you’ll need to go farther afield (or online) for sambal oelek, a bright Indonesian chilli sauce, but it’s worthwhile. It’s a very easy-to-use and versatile condiment. You can make the tomato sauce ahead of time and add the cooked noodles and topping when you’re ready to serve.Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4250g ramen noodles
3½ tbsp neutral oil (eg, rapeseed or sunflower)3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced1½cm x 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated400g tin finely chopped tomatoes (AKA “polpa”)1¼ tsp fine sea salt
