Cold noodles tossed in a bright citrus and chili sauce are the ideal canvas for jammy roasted tomatoes in this light summer dish. Keep a package of frozen precooked udon noodles on hand for those nights when you don’t feel like spending more than, say, ten minutes on dinner. These chewy wheat noodles are extra thick with a bouncy, springy quality that dried udon just doesn’t have. All you have to do is reheat them in boiling water before they’re ready to slurp.

4 servings

1

grapefruit, halved

1

lemon, halved

1

red chili (such as Fresno), seeds removed, finely chopped

12

piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

⅓

cup unseasoned rice vinegar

3

Tbsp. soy sauce

1

tsp. sugar

2

pints cherry tomatoes

1

garlic clove, finely grated

1

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

.

A pinch of kosher salt

18

oz. frozen udon noodles

2

medium Persian cucumbers, peeled, very thinly sliced on a diagonal

.

Cilantro sprigs, crumbled nori, and toasted sesame seeds (for serving)

Step 1

Heat broiler. Squeeze grapefruit and lemon halves into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl; discard pulp (you should have a little more than ½ cup juice). Mix in chile, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Cover ponzu and chill.

Step 2

Toss tomatoes, garlic, oil, and salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until tomatoes are soft and lightly charred, 10–12 minutes. Let cool.

Step 3

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer noodles to bowl with ponzu and toss to coat. Divide noodles and ponzu among bowls and top with charred tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, nori, and sesame seeds.