Here is an elegant summertime recipe that you can pull together quickly, with minimum time at the stove. You can use fresh or canned crabmeat, and fresh or frozen shrimp and squid. My local supermarket sells frozen squid that has already been cleaned, which is what I use when I cook this dish at home. The sweetness of the seafood in this recipe pairs nicely with the tomato dipping sauce, while the arugula adds a nice contrasting zing.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on

　　4 pieces squid, cleaned

　　1 1/4 cups Tomato Dipping Sauce (page 86)

　　14 ounces dried somen noodles

　　1 1/3 cups arugula

　　1/2 cup crabmeat, picked over

　　12 cherry tomatoes, halved

　　2 1/2 tablespoons chopped toasted pine nuts

　　

Step 1

Prepare an ice bath and place a pot of heavily salted water over high heat. When the water comes just to a boil, add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the water and submerge in the ice bath. Add the squid to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, then submerge in the ice bath.

　　

Step 2

Be careful not to overcook the shrimp and squid, as both will become very tough. Remove the seafood from the ice bath and pat dry. Slice the squid into 1/4-inch-thick rings and combine in a small bowl with the shrimp and 1/4 cup of the dipping sauce. Mix well and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Place a pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the somen noodles and cook, following package instructions. Rinse under cold running water until chilled, then drain well. Divide the noodles equally among 4 plates.

　　

Step 4

Top each plate of noodles with one-fourth of the arugula, shrimp, squid, and crabmeat. Garnish with the tomatoes and pine nuts and finish by drizzling 1/4 cup of the remaining tomato dipping sauce on each plate.

　　Takashi's Noodles