There are times when you need to get dinner on the table, and a jar of spaghetti sauce just won’t cut it. You’ve got a crisper full of veggies, some spaghetti (or other long thin noodles) and the ubiquitous peanut butter jar. This dinner, fast and easy, is so satisfying in every way. Check out this video for a tutorial! Gorgeous, creative, inventive, thrifty, and completely delicious. Give it a try and wow your family!

Peanut sesame noodles

Adapted from Gourmet magazine

 INGREDIENTS:

• ½ c creamy peanut butter
• ¼ c soy sauce
• ½ c warm water
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar
• 2 TBS sesame oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (you can leave this out if you wish)

• 1 lb linguine – this is a good recipe to use ww or whole grain pasta
• 2 colored peppers (red and yellow, or orange – not green!), thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• ½ lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces on the bias and steamed to crisp done
• 3 TBS sesame seeds, toasted and cooled
• optional: ½ bunch cilantro, chopped fine
• optional: 1-2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thin

 TECHNIQUE:

• Put first 8 ingredients in a blender and whir until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain. Add the sauce immediately to the pasta and toss well. There will look like a LOT of sauce! That’s okay!
• Arrange pasta on a platter. Decorate the pasta with the vegetables – it will look so pretty . . .
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds for the final touch.

 Good hot or cold or in between!