Almond Noodles with Summer Squash

This recipe is sneaky. Chewy noodles are tossed in a slightly spicy almond dressing and all the while you are eating them up you probably wouldn't guess that there are bits of raw summer squash mixed in.

I was thinking of new ways to eat and use up the overabundance of squash that are everywhere this time of year and wondered how it would go to just grate it up and toss it with some noodles and other veggies. Because the almond butter dressing is boldly flavored, the flavor of the squash doesn't come through, but the benefit of (a) using the squash harvest and (b) sneaking a vegetable into a dish is fantastic.

I used the buttery yellow variety of summer squash which is barely detectable against the other colors of the recipe but feel free to substitute zucchini and add some pretty green flecks to the dish. Some grilled chicken or fried tofu makes it even more substantial.

For 4 servings:

• 10 ounces soba or udon noodles
• 2 tablespoons toasted peanut or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup reserved hot water from cooking the noodles
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sri racha
• 3/4 cup finely grated summer squash, squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1/4 cup toasted flaked almonds

Cook the noodles according to package directions and set aside, remembering to reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water. In a large bowl, whisk together the oils, soy sauce, almond butter, hot water, rice vinegar, sugar and sri racha until smooth. Add the cooked noodles to the bowl and coat thoroughly with the dressing.

Add in the grated squash and bell pepper and toss to distribute the vegetables throughout the noodles. Garnish with the chives and almonds and serve while its still warm.