Instructions: This recipe was made by Hugh Carpenter at a cooking class I took at the Draegers Culinary Center in San Mateo. That day, he used a bell pepper, asparagus, 2 baby bok choy, yellow squash, green onion, and ginger instead of the veggies called for. I usually just use whats available at the store. He also suggests stirring in smoked BBQ chicken, rare roast beef, dungeness crab, or cooked salmon fillet.

Advance

Preparation: Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Lightly salt the water and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

When the pasta loses its raw texture but is still slightly firm, drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss the pasta with half of the cooking oil.

Cut the carrot into matchstick shaped pieces about 1 inch long and 1/8 inch thick. Cut the red pepper, zucchini, and green onions into pieces the size of the carrots.

In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the pasta until evenly mixed, then refrigerate. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. All advance preparation steps may be completed up to 8 hours before you begin the final cooking steps.

Final Cooking Steps: Place a 12 or 14 inch saute pan or a 14 or 16 inch flat bottom wok over the highest heat. When the pan becomes hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons cooking oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the pasta mixture. Stir and toss the pasta until it begins to become hot and the vegetables brighten, about 5 minutes.

Stir the sauce, and then add it to the pasta. Stir and toss the pasta. As soon as the pasta becomes hot, about 3 minutes, taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a heated platter or 4 heated dinner plated. Serve at once.

Serves 4 as a side dish

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