Sesame Peanut Noodles

Recipe from Redbook Magazine
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
8 serving

You know the jingle, “Sometimes you feel like a nut…” Well, I’ve had such a craving lately for a good Thai style peanut noodle dish, so last week I began searching for a recipe that would fit the bill. I was thumbing through the latest Redbook Magazine while waiting for an appointment and, lo and behold, there was this recipe. My hubby and I both felt this was definitely blog worthy! If you would like more “heat,” add some red pepper flakes to the sauce. I used whole wheat pasta to make this even healthier. Lost River Market & Deli has peanut butter and whole wheat pasta in bulk and they now have tahini in cup containers (which I find to be the perfect size) at the end of the refrigerated section of aisle one.

Peanut Sauce:
1 piece (1/2-inch) fresh peeled ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons hot chili oil
1 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup warm water

Noodles:
1 pound spaghetti
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 small seedless cucumber, cut into 2-inch julienne strips (You can substitute a regular cucumber and just scoop out the seeds.)
2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, torn
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch julienne strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Peanut sauce: Mince ginger and garlic in a food processor. Add peanut butter, tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, and sugar. Process until combined; add water, process until smooth.

Noodles: Cook spaghetti according to package directions. While the spaghetti is cooking, prep the vegetables and place in a large serving bowl. Drain the pasta when it’s done; rinse with cold water. Drain well. Toss spaghetti with sesame oil. Add peanut sauce and toss to coat. Add the spaghetti to the vegetables and toss to combine. Sprinkle with peanuts to serve.

Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories 458
Total Fat 23g
Total Carbohydrate 51g (This number will be lower if you use whole wheat pasta)
Protein 15g