Asian Pasta with Peanut Sauce

By Our Recipe Contributor, Becky Spoolstra

This Asian inspired pasta dish has a peanut sauce that makes eating your veggies a treat. Plus the fresh vegetables cook with the pasta which makes things extra simple!

Ingredients

▪   1 red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips

▪   1/2 bag of baby carrots, sliced or quartered

▪   2 heads of broccoli florets

▪   2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped or shredded

▪   8 ounces linguine noodles

▪   For the sauce:

▪   5 Tablespoons soy sauce

▪   2 Tablespoons water

▪   3 Tablespoons peanut butter

▪   2 Tablespoons sesame oil

▪   1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

▪   1 small piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces

▪   1/2 Tablespoon honey

▪   1 clove garlic

▪   1 teaspoon brown sugar

▪   1/3 cup plain unsalted peanuts

▪   Sriracha sauce (a few dashes – or more to your taste)

▪   Cilantro for garnish

▪   Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Puree all of the dressing ingredients (except the peanuts) in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.  Add the peanuts last and blend until just finely chopped.

2. Start to cook the pasta (per the package directions) and add the vegetables into the water for the last 5 minutes to soften them a bit. Drain everything and return it to the pot.

3. Add the dressing and toss it all to evenly coat. Add the chicken and stir to incorporate. Use a heavy or light hand with the sriracha depending on your taste. Top individual servings with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Notes:

This meal is super versatile, so feel free to substitute or add other vegetables to your liking. Zucchini, mushrooms, onions, or bok choy if you wanna get fancy!

You could also add different meats like beef or pork depending on what you have on hand. Or, you can leave out the chicken and add shrimp, tofu, or just tons of veggies to make an equally delicious meatless meal.

This recipe was slightly adapted from here and was originally posted here.