Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles

Hannah Rose has a new boyfriend who is 18. We’re not thrilled that he’s EIGHTEEN but he seems nice enough and they usually have a few other kids around so we’re not on red alert or lock down yet. She disappeared on us last week for 1 ½ hours and we fell into a panic as it got dark. She and her friend Cassidy were outside the hospital near the school sucking up the free Wi-Fi. We had called the school, her friend’s parents and were driving around the block looking for her. I was very difficult not to strangle her in front of Cassidy so instead we took the IPod for a week. I am not sure I will ever get the hang of this parenting thing, every day I am faced with new challenges and obstacles; I think the bumper sticker I saw says it best.  “You’re making it very difficult for me to be the parent I always imagined I would be!” Anyway the gang is coming over and I'm making then dinner. What do you feed a mob of hungry teens? Pasta. They are into Asian stuff so I selected Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles this time.

Generally, pasta shapes should be short. Penne, rigatoni, ravioli, and ziti capture sauce and are bite-sized, so they're easy to serve and eat. When you choose a long, thin variety, such as spaghetti, break it in half so it's more manageable for cooking and eating.  Slightly undercook the pasta because it will finish cooking in the oven. This will also help the pasta soak up the tasty sauce. Since they will come over on a Friday and I work full time so time is an issue. I will assemble the baked pasta dishes the day before I plan to serve them, and refrigerate them until I'm ready to bake. Here are some Copper's Cafe tips to pull this off.

• Assemble the casserole, cover with foil, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.

• Dishes with fresh seafood are best assembled and baked at once.

• Add cheese, breadcrumbs, or other toppings just before baking.

• If the casserole was refrigerated ahead, bake it an additional 10 to 15 minutes to heat through and brown the top.

Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti (broken in half)
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 cup red bell pepper strips 
• 1 cup green or yellow bell pepper strips
• 8 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup home made chicken broth
  1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons cream sherry

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups thinly sliced bok choy

3/4 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, divided

Cooking spray

1 cup panko  breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
3. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red bell pepper strips and mushrooms; sauté 2 minutes. Add chicken, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Combine broth and cornstarch, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, and cook 2 minutes or until mixture is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in sherry, vinegar, and crushed red pepper. Add pasta, bok choy, green onions, and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds to pan, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray.
5. Combine breadcrumbs, butter, and remaining sesame seeds; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until breadcrumbs begin to brown.