Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Have a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish ready.
Slice through each chicken breast horizontally to create two thinner halves. Lay the chicken breast pieces out in the baking dish. Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil and then sprinkle both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Mince 3 cloves of the garlic and rub this all over the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no pink remains. (Internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.) Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest, covered for 10 minutes.
While the chicken roasts, prepare the pasta, sesame seeds and sauce:
Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
While the pasta cooks: place the sesame seeds in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast the sesame seeds, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the seeds are fragrant and lightly browned. (Watch these carefully - if you walk away they will burn!) Set the seeds aside.
Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce, and grated ginger in a medium bowl. Taste the sauce: a little saltiness is okay since the sauce will soak into the pasta. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the sauce if you want to lessen the saltiness. Grate the last clove of garlic into the sauce and stir it through.
Pour the sauce over the hot, cooked noodles. Toss the noodles until they're thoroughly coated in sauce.
Assemble the dinner:
Divide the Sesame Noodles evenly between 4 or 5 serving plates. Slice the Garlic Roasted Chicken into strips. Divide the chicken evenly between the plates, topping the noodles with the slices. Sprinkle each plate with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve it up immediately!
OPTION: MAKE-AHEAD LUNCH
Have ready 4-5 large, reheatable, covered containers that you can take to work. Let the Sesame Noodles and the Garlic Roasted Chicken cool a bit. Divide the noodles between the containers. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions over each portion. Slice the Garlic Roasted Chicken Breast and divide the slices evenly between the dishes. Cover the containers tightly and store them in the refrigerator. The meals can be warmed in a microwave oven or enjoyed cold.
Store leftovers or the make-ahead portions in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes 4-5 servings.
Notes
Look for fresh ginger root in your produce section and check to be sure the root has no soft or shriveled spots. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin, then grate the bright gold ginger that you reveal.