Salt, for the pot
16 ounces Chinese Egg Noodles, Spaghetti or Linguine
1 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce, more as needed
2 tablespoons Chile Crisp, more to taste
2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
2 teaspoons Fresh Ginger, finely grated
1 ½ cups Cucumber, thinly sliced
1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Crystallized Ginger, chopped, more for garnish
1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice, more to taste
Cilantro or Basil, optional, for serving, chopped
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about ⅔ cup of starchy pasta water.
While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, chile crisp, sesame oil and ginger. Whisk in enough of the pasta water to make a loose, smooth dressing.
Add the cucumber slices to the bowl on top of the dressing, but don't mix in. Drizzle cucumber lightly with a little more soy sauce.
Add the drained pasta, scallions, crystallized ginger and lime juice to the bowl and toss well, adding more pasta water if needed to make a glossy dressing. Taste and add more chile crisp, soy sauce and lime juice as needed. Top with cilantro and extra ginger if you like, then serve.