How to Make Szechuan Peanut Pasta in 15 Minutes

A Pasta that can be served at room temperature is known as a Pasta Salad. They are great for picnics or barbecues. If you are a working mom, pasta salads are great to make ahead of a busy day and serve for dinner. I made this on a very hot day and it worked out great to eat out on the patio. If you like peanut butter then this recipe is definitely for you. The heat is kicked up with red pepper flakes so if that isn’t for you, please omit! What is great is that this can be served for all your vegetarian or vegan friends and it is delicious even for carnivores. Yay for Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes!

This Szechuan Peanut Pasta recipe comes from “The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook.” My Dad gave me this cookbook after I got married. It has become my favorite of the few cookbooks that I own. Every recipe that I want to cook has been dog-eared or bookmarked with a post-it. Others that I have cooked have notes and food stains all over! So this Szechuan Peanut Pasta is one of my “Bookmarked Recipes” and perfect for the challenge of the same name hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments is the Challenge founder!

It is also going to be sent into Anamika at the “Taste Junction” for her event “Drive Me Nuts”! This is my 3rd & 4th food blog event! Yay!

Delicious Rating: A very simple and easy dinner this is. You can use leftover pasta as well to use it up. The sauce is delicious! It is creamy, spicy, and salty all together. Don’t overcook the snow peas. The crunch gives such great texture to the pasta and sauce. As it sits the sauce does get a bit too creamy. If this happens to you add 1/4 cup of pasta water or any hot water and stir. The sauce will loosen up and it will be easy to serve. I really liked this pasta salad. I plan on making this easy recipe again in the future.

Szechuan Peanut Pasta

A vegan pasta dish.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package of spaghetti
  • 8 ounces 1 cup of snow peas, string removed
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp hot sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • Peanuts for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Prepare pasta as package directs.
  • Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, rinse pasta in cold water and drain.
  • Heat 1-inch water in saucepan to boiling, add snow peas and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  • Rinse peas in cold water and cut into thin strips.
  • In a large bowl whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, and pasta cooking water until smooth.
  • Add pasta, snow peas, and bell pepper strips to peanut butter sauce and coat all well.

Video

Notes

Don’t overcook the snow peas. The crunch gives such great texture to the pasta and sauce. As it sits the sauce does get a bit too creamy. If this happens to you add ¼ cup of pasta water or any hot water and stir. The sauce will loosen up and it will be easy to serve.
Keyword Pasta
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tips and Tricks to make Szechuan Peanut Pasta

Be sure not to over cook the snow peas so that they aren’t mush but still have a nice crisp.

You may be thinking, “How in the heck is this going to be good?” But the combination of peanut butter with Asian flavorings are perfect together. The ginger is real deal breaker here, use fresh if you can find it.

There are a few key tips to making the perfect Szechuan Peanut Pasta dish every time.

  • First, be sure to use fresh ingredients, including a high quality pasta.
  • Second, cook the pasta to al dente perfection.
  • Third, use a good quality Szechuan sauce, and be sure to heat it properly.
  • Finally, top with fresh green onions and serve immediately.

How to serve Szechuan Peanut Pasta

Szechuan Peanut Pasta
Szechuan Peanut Pasta

Szechuan Peanut Pasta is a dish that is sure to please everyone at your next dinner party. It is a simple dish to prepare, but the flavors are complex and will tantalize your taste buds. The key to this dish is to use fresh, quality ingredients. The peanuts should be roasted and then ground into a paste. The pasta should be a good quality, preferably a durum wheat pasta. The sauce should be made with a good quality chili paste, fresh ginger, and garlic. To finish, the dish is garnished with green onions and cilantro.

Szechuan Peanut Pasta is best served with a light and refreshing salad. For the salad, mix together your favorite greens, diced cucumber, and diced red pepper. Top with a light dressing and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts. For the pasta, cook your favorite noodles according to package directions. In a separate pan, stir-fry diced chicken, diced red pepper, and diced green onion in a small amount of oil. Add a jar of Szechuan Peanut Pasta sauce and heat through. Serve the sauce over the noodles and top with chopped peanuts and green onion.

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