Peanut Sesame Noodles

Note: Thai sweet chile sauce is a sweet and hot sauce that has a translucent quality about it. The label usually says “for chicken” or has a picture of a chicken on it. It is available at well- stocked Asian grocers. This is not the same as the extremely spicy, hot Chinese chile paste, y…

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry spaghettini or thin spaghetti pasta
• 1 cup snow peas, sliced vertically, optional
• ½ cup chunky or super-chunky peanut butter
• ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon toasted, Asian-style sesame oil
• ¼ cup Thai sweet chile sauce (see note)
• 1½ teaspoons finely minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted in small pan or in oven
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large carrot, cut into tiny match sticks
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

1. Break spaghettini in half and cook in boiling water according to package directions until just cooked. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. Drain very well and set aside.
2. Bring small pan of water to boil. Add snow peas and count to 5. Drain immediately and rinse in cold water. Drain well.
3. In large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, chile sauce, garlic and ginger until smooth.
4. Add cooked pasta, snow peas, sesame seeds, cilantro, carrot, bean sprouts, green onions and peanuts to dressing. Toss together, coating pasta and vegetables well with dressing. Makes 10 cups.