I’m sitting here with a very satisfied stomach and mouth after having enjoyed a bowl of Most Wonderful Peanut Butter Pasta.
Before you start, a few notes:
If you like your spaghetti “saucier,” cook only 3/4 of the box. If you like a little more tartness, increase the vinegar to 1/3 cup.
After much experimentation, I can tell you with confidence do not use more peanut butter. You will end up with a stiff mess.
This pasta dish is really delicious cold and twice as good the second day.
Serves up to 8 (depending, of course, on how much pasta you cook)
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter (see note below)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
- shredded, cooked chicken
- scallions
- large package of fresh mung bean sprouts
- 1/2 to 1 pound spaghetti*
Mix together first seven ingredients, reserving green part of scallion for the end. Microwave for one minute, stir, microwave one more minute, stir, then set aside. This can sit for several hours to enhance the flavor.
Poach or sauté chicken, shred when cool enough to handle.
Boil spaghetti, tossing bean sprouts in for the last minute.
Drain spaghetti and toss with sauce and chopped green scallions.
*The more spaghetti you cook, the less sauce coverage you’ll get. I like it to have a lot of sauce relative to pasta, so if you make a full pound of spaghetti, you might consider making half again or twice as much sauce. One large packet of mung bean sprouts is plenty, even if you go up to a full pound of pasta.
NB: It occurs to me that some of you may be using Skippy or Jiff, or another one of those sugar-added conglomerations. For the best peanut butter, I recommend Teddie. It is not only “100% fresh roasted and ground, USA grown peanuts providing the most wholesome peanut butter available,” it’s safe!
Enjoy!
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