Seedy Soba Noodle Salad with Parsley Pesto

I like this salad cold but you could certainly rinse the soba noodles under hot water instead of cold water, toss it all together and serve hot. A quick logistics note: there are pepitas in both the salad and the pesto, so plan to purchase and use 1 1/2 cups total. Next time I make this, I’m going to top each serving with a bit of lemon zest, and maybe even fold chopped parsley into the salad itself. Red chile flakes would be nice, too.

Ingredients

For Salad:

9-ounce package soba noodles (use gluten-free noodles to ensure this is a gluten-free dish if that's of concern)

4 large radishes, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, light green and white parts only (about 2-3)

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced

3/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup raw sesame seeds

1/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata or other firm sheep's milk cheese

Kosher salt, to season

For Parsley Pesto (Makes about 1 1/4 cups pesto)

3/4 cup raw pepitas

4 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 bunches)

2 cloves garlic, quartered

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to thin if desired

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the soba noodles in a medium pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Drain then rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain again and pat dry.

Toast the seeds: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lay all of the pepitas (1 1/2 cups) in an even layer on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and sesame seeds on the other side. Toast for about 5 minutes, or until slightly fragrant — the sesame seeds should become more golden than white. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Make the pesto: Pulse 3/4 cup toasted and cooled pepitas in a food processor until smooth. Add parsley, garlic, chives, oil and Parmesan and process until smooth. Fold in lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble: In a large bowl, toss together the soba noodles with the radishes, green onion, cucumber, toasted seeds (I reserve about a tablespoon of each to sprinkle on top) and ¾ cup – 1 cup parsley pesto. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the ricotta salata at the end. Divide into serving bowls and sprinkle with some the reserved toasted seeds. Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days if covered and refrigerated.