12largescallions, white and green parts thinly sliced on the biasreserved separately
1lbpasta (udon noodles, lo mein, linguini or spaghetti) I used linguini because that's what I had
1/4-1/2smallcabbage, cored and finely slicedoptional
1-2largecarrots, grated optional
sriracha, for servingoptional
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil.
In a large skillet over medium, heat the neutral oil, sesame seeds and pepper flakes (use less if you are sensitive to heat) until the pepper flakes are fragrant and the seeds begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Off heat, stir in the scallion whites, then add the soy sauce mixture. Set aside.
Add the noodles to the boiling salted water and about 4 minutes before they will be done (according to package directions), add your shredded vegetables (if using) to the same pot.
Drain the noodles and vegetables into a colander and then transfer the mixture to the skillet with the sauce mixture. Add the scallion greens. Toss to combine. Serve with sriracha on the side, if using.
Notes
As with most anything, this would be delicious topped with a fried egg. Feel free!