Spicy Thai Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)
Fresh vegetables tossed with pasta in a bold, spicy peanut dressing. A quick Thai-inspired dish ready in 30 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 oz rotini, fusilli, or linguine pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium carrot, julienned or grated
04 - 1 cup snap peas, sliced
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
07 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
08 - 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
→ Spicy Peanut Dressing
09 - 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
10 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
11 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
12 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
13 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
14 - 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 1 to 2 tsp Sriracha or chili garlic sauce, adjusted to taste
17 - 2 to 3 tbsp warm water, as needed to thin
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside and allow to drain completely.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, minced garlic, and Sriracha. Whisk until smooth, adding warm water one tablespoon at a time until the dressing reaches a pourable, drizzle-ready consistency.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, sliced bell pepper, julienned carrot, snap peas, green onions, and shredded purple cabbage until evenly distributed.
04 - Pour the peanut dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss vigorously, ensuring every strand and piece is thoroughly coated with the dressing.
05 - Fold in the chopped cilantro and toss once more. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and sprinkle the chopped roasted peanuts over the top.
06 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and intensify before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The peanut dressing is the type of thing you will want to put on everything from rice bowls to roasted vegetables and maybe even a spoon.
- It comes together in the time it takes your pasta water to boil, which means dinner is basically done before you realize it started.
- The crunch of fresh vegetables against the creamy, spicy sauce creates a texture combination that keeps people going back for seconds.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here because residual heat will continue cooking the noodles and turn them mushy under the dressing.
- The dressing thickens considerably as it sits in the refrigerator, so keep a splash of warm water handy to loosen it before serving leftovers.
03 -
- Toss the drained pasta with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil before adding vegetables to keep the noodles from sticking together while you prepare everything else.
- The dressing can be made up to a week ahead and stored in a jar in the fridge, which means a weeknight dinner can come together in the time it takes to boil water.