Spicy Thai Pasta Salad (Printable)
Bold Thai flavors meet fresh vegetables and spicy peanut dressing in this vibrant pasta salad.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 oz rotini, fusilli, or linguine pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 carrot, julienned or grated
04 - 1 cup snap peas, sliced
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
07 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
→ Spicy Peanut Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
14 - 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha or chili garlic sauce, adjusted to taste
17 - 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water, as needed to thin
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt the cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, minced garlic, and Sriracha until smooth. Gradually add warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches a pourable, drizzle-worthy consistency.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, sliced red bell pepper, julienned carrot, snap peas, green onions, and shredded purple cabbage until evenly distributed.
04 - Pour the spicy peanut dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss vigorously until every component is thoroughly coated with the dressing.
05 - Fold in the chopped fresh cilantro and toss once more. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and scatter the roughly chopped roasted peanuts over the top as a garnish.
06 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and intensify before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The peanut dressing is the kind of thing you will want to put on everything from rice bowls to roasted carrots, and it comes together in about sixty seconds.
- It holds up beautifully in the fridge, making it one of those rare salads that actually tastes better the next day for lunch.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional here, because warm noodles will soak up the dressing unevenly and turn gummy before you even serve.
- The dressing thickens as it sits in the fridge, so keep a splash of warm water handy to loosen it up before tossing leftovers.
03 -
- Taste the dressing before you pour it on, adjusting salt, lime, or heat to your preference, because once it is mixed in, corrections become much harder.
- Julienning the vegetables thinly and uniformly is what makes each forkful feel balanced rather than chaotic, so take the extra minute with your knife work.