Cold Sesame Sauce

When it is hot out side and you want something cool, try this over fresh pasta, then chill.

Makes:  about 1 cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta

Ingredients: 

2 T. sesame seeds, preferably unhulled
1/3 c. smooth peanut butter
1/3 c.  warm chicken broth
1 T. rice vinegar
2 T. low sodium soy sauce
1 t. chili garlic sauce
1/2 t. freshly grated ginger
1 small clove of garlic
2 scallions, white parts only
1/8 t. sesame oil
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Instruction:

Toast sesame seed until golden, in a skillet or toaster oven.  Remove from heat and cool, then grind in a spice grinder, or coffee grinder, to a fine powder.  In a blender add all ingredients except chicken broth, and scallions.  Pulse blender a few times to mix items.  Add half of the chicken broth and pulse, then add the rest and pulse till combined.  Then add scallions, pulse till finely chopped.

This recipe is referenced from:  Get Saucy by Grace Parisi


Note:  you can substitute tahini in equal portions if you do not have sesame seeds.  I used this sauce over a pound of my fresh spaghetti and added poached shrimp.