This simple and easy pasta dish is great for the upcoming warmer days. I have combined a classic Italian pasta type with a sauce inspired by Asian flavours. This also works well with other types of short pasta like rigatoni, fusilli or elbows. I would opt for a pasta type with ridges, which will enable them to be well covered in sauce. Having said this, it is also great served with soba or udon noodles for a complete asian dish.
This dish is ideal to be eaten at room temperature, so it is easy to prepare in advance. It works well for lunch boxes and meal prep. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and taken out a bit before mealtime. When the current situation is over and we are allowed to go out on picnics, this is a great meal to pack in your basket and enjoy while in nature. It is also a great addition to a barbecue table spread.
The amounts below are enough for 2 servings. However, it is easy to double up the recipe or adjust according to the number of people you need.
Asia-inspired Pasta
Great pasta dish that can be enjoyed during the upcoming warmer days
Ingredients
- 160g wholewheat penne rigate
- 100g frozen broccoli florets
- 1 medium carrot
- 80g kohlrabi
- Black sesame seeds (for garnish)
For the sauce:
- 40g peanut butter
- 20g miso paste
- 15g chilli bean sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Directions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta water. Drain the pasta, cool down and set it aside.
- Blanche the frozen broccoli florets and set aside.
- Cut the carrot and kohlrabi into 2-inch sticks.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, broccoli florets, carrot and kohlrabi sticks. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients together, adding some pasta water to loosen the consistency. Add the water slowly, as you need a creamy texture (not too thin!) to be able to cover the pasta and all other ingredients with the sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir to combine well.
- Serve topped with some black sesame seeds!
