Easy Ramen Peanut Pasta

Asian-inspired pasta made with ingredients I almost always have on hand. Super-easy and tasty recipe for college students. 

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Servings: 4

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

⅓ cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon white sugar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

4 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodle soup (seasoning packets reserved for another use)

½ small cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 green onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts

Directions

Stir peanut butter, vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until smooth.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook ramen noodles in boiling water until tender yet firm to the bit, about 3 minutes; drain and transfer noodles to a bowl. Pour peanut butter sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Stir cucumber and green onion into the noodle mixture; garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

Cook's Notes:

The sauce tastes better if you let it sit for four hours to let the flavors blend, but it's fine to use immediately, too.

May be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.

Use less oil if you're watching calories.

If you don't have ramen noodles, substitute 12 to 16 ounces of angel hair, spaghetti, or linguine pasta.

You can use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter.