Peanut Butter Noodles

Thai-style peanut sauces make just about everything better. Our peanut butter noodles recipe is a pad Thai-style dish with a scrumptious peanut-ginger sauce that also contains lime juice and lime zest for an extra zing. Broccoli florets, carrots and sweet red pepper make the dish both colorful and nutritious.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Noodles

• Lime zest and lime juice: Lime juice adds lovely citrus flavor to the peanut sauce, but if you don’t enjoy so much citrus in your peanut-ginger sauce, it’s okay to use less. The grated lime zest adds even more lime aroma and flecks of color to the sauce.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce tends to be high in sodium, so a reduced-sodium option helps cut the sodium without sacrificing flavor.
• Sesame oil: Sesame oil adds a touch of sesame flavor and fragrance to make the sauce extra delicious.
• Creamy peanut butter: Use 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter as the base for the peanut ginger sauce. If you only have crunchy peanut butter, that will also work.
• Fresh gingerroot: Mince enough ginger to fill 2-1/2 teaspoons. If you like your peanut sauce on the spicy side, feel free to use a little more ginger.
• Garlic: Mince (or chop) two garlic cloves to make the sauce even tastier.
• Whole wheat linguine: You’ll need 8 ounces of uncooked whole wheat linguine for the pasta portion of this dish.
• Broccoli florets: Broccoli florets add flavor, nutrients, color and crunch to this peanut butter pasta.
• Carrots: Grate two medium-sized carrots to add confetti-like pops of color to the dish. The carrots also add a little crunch, plus nutrients such as vitamins A and B6, as well as niacin.
• Sweet red pepper: Julienne a sweet red pepper for extra color and crunch in the pasta.
• Green onions: You’ll chop two green onions for this dish, but if you don’t care for green onions, feel free to omit them, or offer them on the side for those who do.
• Fresh basil: Mince the basil until you have 2 tablespoons; it’s also fine to add a little more if you enjoy extra basil flavor in your peanut butter noodles.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the sauce

Place the lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Cover it securely, and blend the ingredients into a smooth sauce.

Step 2: Cook the pasta and broccoli

Cook the linguine according to the package directions, adding the broccoli florets during the last five minutes of cooking time. Drain the liquid.

Step 3: Compose the final dish

Transfer the linguine and broccoli to a large bowl, then add the carrots, red pepper, green onions and minced basil. Pour on the peanut butter sauce, and toss until everything is coated.

Peanut Butter Noodle Variations

• Swap the nut butters: Other nut butters will taste just as delish in this recipe. Feel free to try cashew butter or almond butter, if you prefer either one to peanut butter.
• Add a little protein: Add cooked tofu cubes or chicken breast chunks to make this a hearty meal, Thai restaurant style.
• Garnish with chopped peanuts: Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of each serving, as some restaurants do with pad Thai. Extra green onion slices can also be used as a garnish. (Another option: Don’t mix them into the dish initially, but sprinkle them on top.)

How to Store Peanut Butter Noodles

When the noodles cool, place them in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about four days.

Can you freeze peanut butter noodles?

It’s best not to freeze this prepared dish, as the ingredients don’t fare so well when they’re frozen, thawed and reheated. The sauce may separate a bit, and the texture of the noodles and the dish as a whole may change.

Peanut Butter Noodle Tips

Could I use different noodles for this recipe?

Sure, and there’s no need to use whole wheat noodles, either. Choose rice noodles of similar thickness for a dish comparable to pad Thai, but with a ginger-peanut sauce. Virtually any long noodles will do, and some that are fairly thick make the dish more true to its origins than thinner pastas, such as angel hair. Spaghetti and fettuccine are also good options, but feel free to change things up completely and go with wide egg noodles or sen yai, a wide, somewhat short rice noodle used in Thai dishes such as pad see ew.  Sen yai noodles are found in the refrigerated section in Asian grocery stores.

Can I make this dish without using a blender?

You can. Make the peanut butter sauce in a food processor, even a tiny one. An immersion blender will also work just as well.

What could I serve with peanut butter noodles?

This peanut butter Asian noodles dish pairs well with fresh spring rolls, a salad with sesame ginger dressing or a Thai curry soup. In fact, here’s an entire collection of Thai recipes to explore!