Summer is in full swing and the last thing I want to do on a hot day is slave over a hot stove! Cold noodles make for a great summer time dish. Served them room temperature or chilled. These noodles go well with any BBQ meat entrée.

½ package thin spaghetti (8 oz.)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt for boiling the spaghetti
1 small carrot
½ English cucumber

Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (Skippy brand)
2 teaspoons pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers

Preparation:
Peel and slice carrot diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Put in a small bowl and set aside. Wash (do not peel) the cucumber, slice diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Put in a small bowl and set aside. Crush, peel and finely mince the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together thoroughly and set aside.

To Cook:
In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti in half and place into the boiling water. Add salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 8 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander and drain well (do not rinse with cold water), put in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, bring the sauce mixture to boil over medium-high heat and boil for just a few seconds. Remove  from heat. Pour sauce over spaghetti in bowl. Toss, mix well together and let the noodles rest in the bowl for at least 10 minutes. The noodles will expand just a bit and the sauce will adheres to the noodles. Toss the noodles again before serving. You can also refrigerate and serve cold. Sprinkle cucumber and carrot strips on top of the noodles to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes