These Vegetarian Sesame Peanut Noodles are a delicious and simple way to use up some of the pantry pasta you’ve got hiding in your cabinet.
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Okay – so I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve seen A LOT of pasta recipes floating around Instagram these days as we all cook at home more with pantry ideas. However, just because you are bored with the idea of making pasta with canned tomato sauce for the 100th time in the past month doesn’t mean you should rule out all pasta options.
Case in point? These Vegetarian Sesame Peanut Noodles, which taste nothing like your Italian pasta nights. These peanut butter sesame noodles are spicy and rich and comforting in all new ways. Plus, an added bonus is that this all come together in under 30 minutes!
When making this, make sure to only cook down the vegetables for a few quick minutes so they still end up crunchy at the end. Also, you could easily make this vegan by use brown sugar instead of the honey in the sauce!
What’s Needed for Sesame Peanut Noodles?
These sesame peanut butter noodles come together quickly with lots of pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need to make these sesame noodles:
- Dried spaghetti
- Creamy peanut butter
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Honey
- Rice vinegar
- Chili garlic sauce
- Sesame oil
- Olive oil
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Bell pepper
- Carrots
- Snow peas
- Water
- Fresh cilantro
- Sesame seeds
Ingredient Substitutions
With the ongoing pandemic, I plan to give as many substitution suggestions as possible so you can continue to cook without having to run out to the store. Although some of these suggestions may vary the end result, I only make suggestions if I think it will still be delicious.
Here is a list of substitute suggestions for this Vegetarian Sesame Peanut Noodles recipe in case you don’t have certain ingredients on hand:
- Creamy Peanut Butter – It will alter the flavor but this dish could be made with creamy cashew butter (which is rather mild) or even creamy almond butter.
- Snow Peas – Frozen green beans could also work here if you don’t have snow peas on hand.
- Spaghetti pasta – Any long pasta (fettuccine, linguine, rice noodles, ramen noodles) will do here but just make sure to cook it according to the package direction.
- Chili garlic sauce – You could use red pepper flakes in place of this chili garlic sauce.
- Scallions – Could be replaced with a small chopped shallot or 1/4 cup chopped white onions.
- Toasted Sesame seeds – I love the extra texture that the toasted sesame seeds add to this dish but it could be made without them if needed.
- Honey – make this vegan by swapping in 1 Tbsp brown sugar for the honey in the sauce.
How to Make Sesame Peanut Noodles
I’ve given detailed instructions in the recipe card below on how to make the sesame peanut sauce and noodles, but here are the basics:
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
- Whisk together the sesame peanut sauce.
- In a large skillet, sauté the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger and until they start to become fragrant.
- Add the bell pepper strips, carrots, and snow peas and cook for another few minutes.
- Add the sesame peanut sauce and cooked pasta and thin sauce with water as needed.
- Garnish with the green parts of the scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve right away.
Tips for Making Sesame Peanut Noodles
If you have a sesame allergy, you can omit the sesame oil and sesame seeds in this recipe. The flavor of the peanut butter noodles won’t be the same as mine, but I bet it’d still taste delicious.
Cook the pasta just until al dente. You don’t want it to be too fall apart tender, otherwise it won’t hold up well against the sesame peanut sauce or the cooked veggies.
These peanut butter sesame noodles are best enjoyed right away, but leftovers can be gently reheated in a skillet over low heat.
Want more pasta recipes? I’ve got you!
- Easy Vegetarian Chickpea Noodle Soup Recipe
- Vegan Chili Mac & Cheese
- Mac Salad
- Summer Pasta Salad with Dill Vinaigrette
- Walnut Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- 8 oz dried spaghetti pasta
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 Tbsp Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 scallions trimmed and chopped with the white and green parts separated
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger knob peeled and minced
- 1/2 red or orange bell pepper cut into small strips
- 2 medium carrots trimmed and cut into small matchsticks
- 3 oz snow peas trimmed (if needed)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
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Boil and cook spaghetti pasta according to package directions and drain.
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, tamari, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil (if using) until combined.
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In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium. Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger and saute for 30 seconds or until started to become fragrant.
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Add the bell pepper strips, carrots, and snow peas and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (you want them to still be crunchy).
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Add the creamy peanut sauce and the pasta and toss to coat. Drizzle in the water to de-glaze the pan and toss until glossy sauce has formed on all the pasta and vegetables, about 30 seconds.
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Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the green parts of the scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve right away.
