Hawaiian Pasta Salad

This hearty, Japanese-influenced pasta salad has a light, slightly sweet dressing that is a nice change of pace from traditional recipes. Hawaiian food has been heavily influenced by Japan, as a sizeable Japanese population lives on the islands and many Japanese people enjoy vacationing there. 

Somen is a type of egg noodle that looks like curly spaghetti and is available in the Asian section of many grocery stores.  If you can't find it, substitute 9 ounces of regular spaghetti. 

Japanese-Inspired Hawaiian Somen Salad Recipe
Makes 4-6 servings. 

1 package (9 ounces) somen noodles or spaghetti
2 quarts water (for boiling pasta)
1 teaspoon salt (for boiling pasta)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for boiling pasta)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup thinly sliced ham, cut in 1/4-inch strips
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 large cucumber, seeds removed, cut in thin strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion tops (optional) 

Salad Dressing
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 rounded tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds 

1. Boil 2 quarts of water with the 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Add the somen noodles and cook until they start to soften, or until the spaghetti is done. Drain and set aside.

2. Combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. 

3. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, ham, diced egg, cucumber, green onion, and somen noodles.

4. Toss with the salad dressing and serve.