Cold Curry-Peanut Noodles

It's Labor Day weekend here in the States, and for a lot of us, that means backyard barbeques, picnics, and camping. I thought I'd share a yummy side dish I made this summer. From the June 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, Cold Curry-Peanut Noodles are a fantastic twist on tired old pasta salad. They're something different, yet not so out there that unadventurous eaters will be wary.

Cold Curry-Peanut Noodles

adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2010

p. 104

12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter

1-2 tbsp. red curry paste

2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1/3 c. fresh parsley leaves

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into thin strips

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta, rinse under cool water. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the peanut butter, curry paste, vinegar, lime juice, parsley, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tsp. salt. Puree until smooth.

Toss the spaghetti, vegetables, and peanut sauce in a large bowl until well combined. Season with salt (you'll need it) and stir in some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.

If serving immediately, transfer to serving bowl and top with red pepper flakes and fresh parsley. We brought this along with us as a camping side dish, so I packed it into an airtight container and into the cooler.

 

A lovely camping meal - cheeseburgers, chips, coleslaw, and this awesome pasta salad!

Those of you who know me are aware that I'm not much of a camper - I mostly do it to make my husband happy. I'm also not much of a fisherwoman, but every once in a while, I'll do that too, just to make Andrew happy. 

As you can see in the picture below, this city girl in borrowed waders does not appreciate the moment being recorded for posterity!

We're not in NYC anymore, Toto!

Have a Happy Labor Day weekend!