This past weekend, Sidney made me a unique dish I had wanted to try for a few months. Back in January, I briefly wrote about peanut butter pasta in a Thursday Rundown. This delicacy became known to me when I watched an episode of Trisha Yearwood’s Southern Kitchen cooking show in which she used peanut butter as her main ingredient in all the dishes she prepared. While the peanut butter cookies, cake, and pretzel rods all looked delicious, it was the pasta that really stood out to me.
On Saturday evening after church, our little family stopped by the grocery store. As we discussed what we wanted to have for dinner, I made the suggestion that perhaps it was a good night to try peanut butter pasta. Sidney agreed! We started cruising through the aisles picking up the ingredients we needed: ramen noodles, chicken, frozen stir-fry vegetables, chili sauce, a lime, soy sauce, and PEANUT BUTTER.
Back at home, it only took Sidney about 30 minutes to prepare our special meal. Before I knew it, we were sitting at the dinner table with a bowl of peanut butter pasta in front of each of us. It was time to dig in!
My first bowl of peanut butter pasta that Sidney prepared for me.
Our initial reaction? We both liked it! However, as we continued to eat, Sidney changed her opinion. Although I was still loving the pasta as I finished off my first bowl, Sid wasn’t too crazy about it anymore. I served myself a second helping while Sidney didn’t quite finish her first.
I enjoyed the peanut butter pasta because it was spicy, nutty, and hearty. It also had incredible texture as peanut butter is an ingredient that settles well on pasta and brings other ingredients together. However, there is one dynamic with this dish that might separate those who like it from those who don’t. Even though peanut butter goes great on celery, some might not like it on other vegetables. The veggie medley we purchased had carrots, broccoli, and peppers in it. Some might believe that those items don’t go as well with peanut butter as perhaps jelly does. But it definitely didn’t deter me.
A couple final notes – I added a topping to my pasta that the recipe didn’t call for. At the grocery store, I had thrown a small can of peanuts into the cart. Before I started eating Sidney’s cooking, I sprinkled some on top. Last night when I ate leftovers I once again added peanuts along with some crushed red pepper and extra soy sauce to make up for the flavor that was potentially lost after sitting in the refrigerator.
Also, peanut butter pasta is much more of an Asian-inspired dish as opposed to an Italian one. Unfortunately, garlic bread or parmesan cheese won’t go well with it. The word “pasta” is a bit deceptive. Whatever you call it, however, I believe the combination of ramen noodles, peanut butter, and spices is a winning one! Thanks to Sid for making me a wonderful dinner. Don’t Blink.
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