Soba Noodles with Sesame Seeds

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• salt
• 8 ounces soba noodles
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 5 scallions

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a high heat until they look golden brown, and tip them into a bowl.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add some salt. Put in the soba noodles and cook them for about 6 minutes (or according to package instructions) until they are tender but not mushy. Have a bowl of iced water waiting to plunge them into after draining.

In the bowl you are going to serve them in, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oil. Then finely slice the scallions and put them into the bowl with the cooled, drained noodles and mix together thoroughly before adding the sesame seeds and tossing again.

Leave the sesame seed noodles for about half an hour to let the flavors develop, although this is not absolutely necessary or sometimes even possible.

From Nigella Lawson Forever Summer

Yield: 4 servings