Peanut Butter Noodles

I know, I know. This meal looks really similar to the last one we posted. It tastes completely different though, I promise!

I actually planned to post two other recipes over the past week but life has been crazy and I never got around to it. So here we are having broccoli and pasta again.

I love this recipe. This is one of the recipes that my mom sent me off to college with. I'm not sure where she got it from but she used to have tons and tons of those little cookbooks you get in the checkout line at the grocery store so I'm betting it came out of one of those. It's real name is South Pacific Pasta and Vegetables but ever since Kay was about 3 years old, it has been called Peanut Butter Noodles!

You can use any vegetables you like. I usually use cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots but tonight all we had on hand was broccoli and that worked fine too. Zucchini, bell peppers and asparagus are really good as well.

3-4 cups steamed vegetables
1 lb pasta (I used vermicelli)

SAUCE
1 tbsp peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce

In a small saucepan, saute the garlic in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Top the pasta with the steamed vegetables and then cover in the peanut sauce.

Kay: I used to really like this but sometimes it gives me a funny taste in my mouth. I like to eat the vegetables on the side instead of with the noodles and peanut butter. If you like peanut butter then you will probably like this recipe.

Mom: I know it seems like a strange combination but you have to try it. I love this recipe. It is really fast, I usually have the ingredients on hand, and it tastes fantastic. I lived on this in college and even got one of my roommates hooked on it. When Kay was little, our neighbor was over playing around dinner time so I offered some to him. I'm sure his mom was surprised when he went home and said he had spaghetti with peanut butter on it but he loved it!