Ten Minute Thai Noodles

Last week, a reader asked whether I had a recipe for low-sodium Thai peanut sauce, and although I unfortunately don’t, it did remind me of today’s recipe from The Everything DASH Diet Cookbook. So here you go!

These spicy noodles will satisfy your hunger for something healthy and filling like nothing else. If you use creamy peanut butter, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of chopped peanuts to the mix. I like to sprinkle liberally with salt-free seasoning and black pepper before serving – and of course, keep extra red pepper flakes close by to up the spice.

If you’d like to make a straight sauce instead (or simply expand the recipe below), try adding a dash of rice wine vinegar to the peanut butter mixture, as well as a tiny bit of red curry paste or sriracha. Just remember, cooking is all about improvisation, especially when the target audience is YOU!

Yields 6 servings

SODIUM CONTENT: 20 mg per serving

ADDITIONAL NUTRITIONAL FACTS (per serving):
Calories: 377
Fat: 6 g
Protein: 13 g
Fiber: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 66 g
Sugar 5 g

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. dry angel hair pasta
3 t. sesame oil, divided
1 small red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
2 T. unsalted peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 t. dried red pepper flakes
3 scallions, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to cook pasta and toss well to coat. Set aside.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and saute 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and saute 3 minutes more.

Remove from heat. Stir in broth, peanut butter, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and scallions. Add pasta to pan and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.