Thai-Style Pasta Salad

A long time ago, when I was really trying to adapt how I cooked to living in China, Kandy Persall gave me a word of advice. She said to look for recipes that were inspired by Asian ingredients to begin with. Asian fusion food I guess you'd say. This was her way of saying that I could still cook how I wanted for our tastes but try to use the things I had around me. I've tried to remember that through the years. When I do, it keeps me away from high priced cheeses and such that we tend to use a lot as westerners! At that time she even sent me some recipes like these Asian Lettuce Wraps, Sesame Chicken with Mango Salsa, Ramen Salad and this Sprite and Soy Marinade for meats. Well, when I saw this recipe I knew it fit that advice. Everything comes from my market or neighborhood grocery store. But even if you don't live in Asia, you can probably still make this dish and love it. The flavor is great--fairly authentic to Thai flavors--though I can't say I've eaten a cold pasta salad in Thailand! (Papaya salad, yes....Mmmm!) My kids eat this great, which is an even bigger bonus! Especially with all the veggies it packs in! We use the chicken in this and make it our meal. We think its plenty filling to serve on its own. You could leave the chicken out and have a vegetarian meal option as well. I would say this makes 4 adult sized servings if eating it as the main dish. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! I adapted this from a recipe found on Tasty Kitchen.

Thai-Style Pasta Salad
1 sweet bell pepper, cut into 1 inch matchsticks (I used red)
~1 cup shredded carrot
~1 cup shredded zucchini or squash
~1/2 cup chopped broccoli (just a few florets, cut small)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2-3 Tbs chopped cilantro leaves
2 chicken breasts, diced, seasoned and cooked
8 oz (250g) spaghetti or linguine noodles, cooked according to package
(**Edited 7-3-13: used fusilli or penne type pasta recently and liked it better!)

Dressing:
5 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs water
2 Tbs peanut butter
2 Tbs oil
1 Tbs vinegar
1/2 Tbs honey
1 tsp sugar
1-1 1/2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 small red chili, seeds and ribs removed
1/3-1/2 cup salted peanuts

Bring some salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, prepare all the veggies, making sure to wash well in boiled water since this dish is not cooked.

If using the chicken, you can cook it however--grilled, baked, boiled, stir fried--then dice or shred. Make sure to season it with some salt and pepper prior to cooking. (I took the two breasts, sprinkled some salt and pepper on each side and cooked them over medium heat on a hot skillet with a little olive oil to help maintain some of the juices in the chicken. I then diced them when I was ready to toss them in the salad.) Put noodles, veggies and chicken in a large serving bowl and set aside.

To mix together dressing, put all ingredients except the peanuts into a blender or food processor. Pulse until garlic, ginger and chili pepper are pureed in. Add peanuts and pulse until they are crushed to desired amount. Pour dressing over other ingredients and toss together until well coated. Put in fridge if not serving immediately. Eat cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes: I used one of the little red chilies from the market--they are only an inch or so long and smaller around than my pinkie finger. Open the chili and remove the seeds and ribs--otherwise it will be REALLY hot. Make sure to wear gloves or stick a plastic baggie over your hands for this! I probably only used 2/3 of my chili and it was plenty spicy for us but not so spicy the kids complained. You might want to add this in small amounts if you are worried about the kick. Or you could use whatever type of pepper you needed to to accomplish the same thing. Also, I know some people (like people in Taiwan) can't get zucchini easily or cheaply--I'd consider substituting some diced cucumber or just leaving it out and adding more of another ingredient! I will say, as well, the amount of dressing is just enough for these proportions. Its not got extra running through. But we think its plenty for flavor and consistency. If you wanted a little saucier, just time and a half the dressing recipe. Once you mix this up, it starts to get a little mushy after 24 hours. Flavor is fine but texture suffers a bit in the next day leftovers. I'd make it the day you're using it.