This dish has all the swoon-worthy, aromatic richness of the cold sesame noodles from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but with the modern, healthful, complete-meal appeal of a vegetable-packed rice bowl. On top of that, it is as easy to make as a basic pasta salad. Its key ingredients are everyday items you most likely have on hand: whole-grain spaghetti and peanut butter.
You could substitute authentic Asian noodles, such as udon or Chinese egg noodles, if you prefer, but whole-grain spaghetti’s slightly nutty taste and tender, yet hearty texture work perfectly. To begin, cook the pasta, toss it with a little oil so it doesn’t stick together, and allow it to cool. Then mix it with a rainbow of crisp, raw vegetables that have been cut into thin strips to echo the shape of the noodles.
Upon serving, drizzle the noodle-vegetable mixture with the peanut sauce, a decadently tasty combination of peanut butter seasoned with fresh ginger and layers of flavor: savory (soy sauce), sweet (honey), spicy (chili sauce) and tangy (rice vinegar). No cooking is necessary to make the sauce; you just whisk all the ingredients together as you would for a salad dressing.
It’s important to pour on the sauce right before serving, because if you dress the mixture ahead of time, it will become overly sticky. But you can make the noodle-vegetable mixture and the sauce up to three days ahead and store them separately in the refrigerator, which makes the dish an ideal make-ahead dinner or to-go lunch.
Allow them to come to room temperature, and stir each well before combining them and sprinkling a crunch of toasted peanuts on top.
Asian noodle bowl with peanut dressing
For the noodles
Kosher salt
8 ounces dried whole-wheat spaghetti
1 teaspoon peanut or canola oil
1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, for garnish
4 ounces snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise (11/2 cups)
2 small carrots, scrubbed well and shredded into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
5 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced, 1/4 cup of sliced greens reserved for garnish
For the sauce
1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons plain rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons peeled, finely grated fresh ginger root
1/4 cup water
Chili garlic sauce, such as Sriracha
Make ahead: The noodle-vegetable mixture and the sauce may be made up to three days in advance; refrigerate separately. Allow to come to room temperature, and stir each well before combining them and sprinkling a crunch of toasted peanuts on top.
For the noodles: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook (al dente) according to the package directions. Drain, then toss with the oil and let cool.
Meanwhile, toast the peanuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool, then coarsely chop.
Transfer the noodles to a mixing bowl. Add the snow peas, carrots, bell pepper and all but 1/4 cup of the scallions, tossing to incorporate.
For the sauce: Whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger and water in a medium bowl. Add the chili garlic sauce (to taste).
To serve, divide the noodle-vegetable mixture among individual bowls. Divide the sauce among them evenly, then sprinkle each portion with the reserved scallions and the toasted peanuts.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition 5/8 Per serving: 400 calories, 17g protein, 56g carbohydrates, 14g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 340mg sodium, 13g dietary fiber, 10g sugar.
Ellie Krieger’s most recent cookbook is “Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less.” She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.
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