Making your own lo mein with lots of vegetables and Chinese sausage tastes better than any take-out version.
1/2 to 3/4 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 cup Chicken Stock or purchased low-sodium stock
8 large dried shiitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
12 scallions, white parts and 4 inches of green tops, sliced, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 pound Sweet Chinese Sausage or purchased cooked Asian sausage, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced on the diagonal
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage or bok choy
1/3 cup Chinese oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 pound snow peas, stemmed
1 cup fresh bean sprouts, rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain, and set aside.
2. Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add mushrooms to stock, and push mushrooms down into liquid with the back of a spoon. Allow mushrooms to soak for 10 minutes, then drain, reserving stock. Discard mushroom stems, and slice thinly. Strain stock through a paper coffee filter or paper towel, and set aside.
3. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of scallions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add remaining scallions, sausage, celery, and carrot to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
4. Add reserved mushrooms, stock, oyster sauce, and soy sauce to the skillet. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Uncover the pan, stir in pasta, snow peas, and bean sprouts, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until pasta is hot. Serve immediately.
Note: The dish can be prepped and the pasta can be cooked up to 6 hours in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Do not cook the dish until just prior to serving.