Eating: Spicy Peanut Pasta Salad

We have a potluck at work this week and the theme is southeast Asian.  I didn't feel like cooking up anything too fancy on a Tuesday night, so I whipped up this spicy peanut pasta salad.  It takes minutes to prepare and tastes much fancier than it is. I like this at room temperature or chilled for a summer picnic.  Keep reading for the recipe...



Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
6 green onion, white and light greens bits chopped, dark green bits reserved for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
 2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil and add spaghetti.   Cook until al dente.  Drain and toss to coat in a tablespoon or two of sesame oil to prevent sticking.

2.  Meanwhile, Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a heavy skillet.  Add onion, garlic, and ginger.  Sautee until fragrant and just beginning to soften.

3.  Add honey, soy sauce, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce.  Whisk until combined, remove from heat.

4.  Add sauce to spaghetti and toss to coat.  Chill to room temperature.

5.  Add shredded cabbage and carrots.  Garnish with the dark green onion tops sliced thin.

Makes 8 side portions.

I love this sauce.   I like to toss it with steamed kale, and Nathan likes it on green beans.  It's easy to play with as well.  Try changing the proportions of soy sauce, peanut sauce, and chili-garlic sauce to suit your own tastes.