Spicy Thai Pasta Salad (Printable)
Colorful pasta tossed with fresh veggies and a bold spicy peanut dressing. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What you'll need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 oz rotini, fusilli, or linguine pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 carrot, julienned or grated
04 - 1 cup snap peas, sliced
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
07 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
08 - 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
→ Spicy Peanut Dressing
09 - 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
10 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
11 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
12 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
13 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
14 - 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 1 to 2 tsp Sriracha or chili garlic sauce, adjusted to taste
17 - 2 to 3 tbsp warm water, as needed to thin dressing
# How to make it:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt further cooking. Set aside to drain completely.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, minced garlic, and Sriracha. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of warm water and continue whisking, adding more water one tablespoon at a time until the dressing reaches a pourable, drizzle-friendly consistency.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, sliced red bell pepper, julienned carrot, snap peas, sliced green onions, and shredded purple cabbage until evenly distributed.
04 - Pour the prepared peanut dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly, ensuring every component is well coated with the dressing.
05 - Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the salad and toss gently once more to incorporate throughout.
06 - Transfer the salad to a serving platter or individual bowls. Scatter the roughly chopped roasted peanuts over the top as a crunchy garnish. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The peanut dressing doubles as a marinade for tofu or chicken if you want to stretch it into something heartier.
- It tastes even better on day two when the noodles have soaked up every bit of that spicy lime sauce.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is not optional here because residual heat will continue cooking the noodles and turn them mushy under the dressing.
- If the dressing thickens too much after chilling, stir in another splash of warm water and it will come back to life instantly.
03 -
- Toss the warm drained pasta with a teaspoon of sesame oil before cooling to give every noodle a base layer of flavor that the dressing builds on.
- Taste the dressing on a plain noodle before adding it to the full salad because it is much easier to adjust salt or heat at that stage.