Cold noodles with fresh vegetables and sichuan dressing

This is a nice fresh cold pasta salad, with lots of flavor.  It can be a main dish in summer, especially if you are cooking for vegan friends.  Fast to make, and easy to take to parties -- I usually bring the pasta, vegetables, sauce, and garnishes in separate containers and assemble just before serving.  The sauce is spicy when you make it, but not as spicy once it's on the noodles.   Black vinegar, an aged rice vinegar, has a wonderful sort of funky smoky taste, if you can find it. #vegan

The salad:
1/2 lb dry spaghetti or whatever pasta you want to use
salt for pasta water
1 tsp vegetable oil, for tossing with noodles
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 cups of finely shredded napa
2 cups of mung bean sprouts
about 1 cup of steamed, shelled edamame (optional)

The sauce: 
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp sichuan red chili oil (I LOVE this oil from www.blankslatekitchen.com), or 1 tbsp regular red chili oil and 1/2 tsp toasted ground sichuan peppercorns.  I usually start with just 1 tbsp and then add a little more after the salad is assembled, depending on how spicy you want it. 
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp zhenjiang (chinkiang) black vinegar, or Shaoxing wine, or rice vinegar (black vinegar is my favorite, but it can be hard to find)

Garnish:
2 tbsp toasted hulled sesame seeds
3 scallions, chopped or julienned
more sesame oil, to taste
1/2 tsp ground sichuan peppercorns (optional)


Instructions:

The whole recipe can be made while the pasta water is heating.  Cook the pasta  in salted water to taste, drain, toss with vegetable oil, and refrigerate.  Prepare the vegetables and set aside.  Mix all the sauce ingredients and refrigerate.  Just before you serve it, toss the pasta with the vegetables, pour the sauce over it and toss to coat, scatter garnishes on top.