Shanghai Pasta

8 ounces dried fusilli, linguine, or spaghetti
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon bottled plum sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili paste (optional)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium red and/or green sweet pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces or 1 cup pea pods, trimmed
12 ounces frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp without tails, thawed (26 to 30 shrimp per lb. count) 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, bias sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Set aside. Keep warm. For sauce, stir together soy sauce, plum sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste (if using). Set aside.

2. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Cook and stir sweet pepper and beans in hot oil for 5 minutes. Push from center of wok. Add shrimp, garlic, ginger, and black pepper to center of wok. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Stir in sauce and pea pods. Stir in pasta; heat through. To serve, top with onions and sesame seeds. Makes 4 main-dish servings.