Szechuan Noodles

This is adapted from the new Moosewood Restaurant Favorites cookbook--I have been cooking out of one Moosewood cookbook or another since the late 1970's, and still find them to be amongst my favorite vegetarian recipes.

½ pound linguine, spaghetti, or soba or udon noodles
1 cucumber seeded, peeled, seeded and sliced into thin crescents
½ cup finely chopped scallions
Mung bean sprouts or
Shredded Carrots if you like

For the peanut dressing:
⅓ cup peanut butter
⅓ cup warm water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar (rice, cider or white)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste with garlic 

Cook the noodles as directed on package. Prepare the cucumber and scallions. In a small bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients.
Drain the pasta and toss it with the dressing, cucumbers and scallions. Garnish with mung bean sprouts, if you wish. Serve warm or chilled.
The noodles absorb the dressing over time, so if you made the noodles ahead, or are serving leftovers, taste them and stir in a little water, and maybe more vinegar, soy sauce and chili paste as needed.

Note: Chinese chili paste with garlic can be purchased at Asian markets. It is also stocked in the Asian ingredients aisle at many grocery stores.