Something about winter screams pantry cooking. Perhaps it’s the arctic temperatures, or maybe it’s the thought of having to trudge through the snow. Whatever the reason, having a well-stock cupboard—that includes sauces and seasonings, and veggies in the crisper make for an easy dinner solution. On this particular night I had some carrots and broccoli on hand. Since it was a school day, stopping by the fish market for some shrimp was no biggie—it’s around the corner. Now I had all I needed to make a peanuty noodle dish.
I’m normally a stickler for tradition, and was going to buy real Chinese egg noodles to make this…except they were $3.19 for an 8-ounce bag. Instead I opted for a one pound box of Barilla on sale for only 99 cents (yes, a good deal, indeed). Next time, I will keep my eyes peeled in case those other noodles go on sale so I can stock up. The other great thing about this dish, besides saving money on inferior takeout, is it comes together mostly in one pot. The same water I used to boil the pasta, was also used to cook the vegetables and poach the shrimp. As a matter of fact, this dish is delicious served at room temperature, so you can even skip the last step and just toss the sauce and cooked ingredients together in a serving bowl.
Noodles with Shrimp, Veggies & Peanut Sauce
serves 4 to 6
1/2 pound dry pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup vegetable stock
Chili flakes, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 pound shrimp
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
