Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce

A friend of mine made this dish for me a few years ago.  The first time I tasted it, I was in love!  The flavor of this dish is bold in just the right ways and subtle in just the right ways.  It is a Thai peanut pasta with pea pods and broccoli.  Once we tried it, we couldn't get enough of it.  Sometimes in this type of recipe, the peanut butter flavor, though adored in my house on a sandwich or in a milkshake, is too much to take.  The sweetness of the peanut butter is balanced nicely with rice vinegar and lime juice.  The heat of the dish can be controlled simply by adding or subtracting red pepper flakes and ginger.  (Note: as the dish sits, the spiciness will increase)

I have made this for the boys, my sister and BIL and my in-laws, all with raging success.  As with every recipe, I alter it slightly with each time I prepare it.  Yesterday, I think I found a solid version that I will make again.

The RECIPE (as published):
12 ounces Spinach Linguine or Whole Wheat Spaghetti
2c. Broccoli Florets
2c. Snow Peas
2c. Sugar Snap Peas
1/2c. Unsalted peanuts
1/2c. Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4c. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4c. Water
2T. Rice Vinegar
2T. Fresh Lime Juice
1 Scallion
One 3/4 inch piece Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated
2T. Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/4 t. Red Pepper Flakes (or more to taste)

Cook the pasta as directed. Drain and rinse with cold water.
While the pasta is cooking, steam broccoli for three minutes.  Add pea pods and steam an additional 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Toast the peanuts in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant.  3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Make the sauce by pureeing the remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
RIGHT BEFORE SERVING, toss pasta, vegetables and sauce together.  Sprinkle the peanuts on top and serve.

MY CHANGES:
As much as I love spinach linguine, it was very difficult to get everything mixed up well enough with the longer pastas.  I recommend a shorter noodle, such as a penne or ziti.  I did a mixture (as that was what my pantry dictated) of whole wheat penne and mini fusili.  They worked great.

I also only used sugar snap peas.  I tried it using the snow peas a couple of times and the pods broke apart and it looked messy.  I substituted the snow peas with regular frozen petite peas.  It worked out so much better.

I definitely suggest going with the low sodium soy sauce.  Not only is it healthier, but with all the flavors in this dish, the saltiness of the soy sauce would really mess up the balance, I think.


The best part of this recipe is the sauce.  Not only is it incredibly delicious, but it is pretty versatile.  I made it once as a dipping sauce for chicken strips to take over to fight night at a friend's place.  I have also used it for veggies.  Both were an absolute hit.

If you make any changes, I would love to hear about them.  What would you do differently?