If loving Pad Thai is wrong, I don’t want to be right. It’s an adaptable dish, with the protein and vegetables easily used in any variety or combination, which makes it family friendly. It doesn’t have to be too spicy, although I prefer it on the hot side. Even Lane’s daughter, who turns down plenty of dinner options, likes Pad Thai. She usually tries to get to it before her father douses it in Sriracha, but eventually, she’ll learn 🙂 .
Cooking the Pad Thai is a quick-moving process, so I strongly suggest having all of the components ready before you start cooking. You can adjust the amount of Sriracha based on how spicy you like your food- with the two teaspoons I added, I barely noticed the spiciness. I also use linguine instead of rice noodles, because rice noodles never seem to cooperate for me. This made for a fantastic dinner, and Pad Thai is a great starter dish if you’re new to Thai food.
Shrimp Pad Thai
- 8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
- 1/4 C. low-sodium teriyaki sauce
- 2 tbsp. hot water
- 3 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter (creamy is also fine)
- 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
- 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp
- 4 C. snow peas
- 1/3 C. chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 C. chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, hot water, peanut butter, and Sriracha, whisking to dissolve the peanut butter.
Heat the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add minced garlic, and sauté 1 minute.
Add shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes or until shrimp are almost cooked through.
Add teriyaki sauce mixture, and cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Add pasta and snow peas, toss to coat with the sauce.
Cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring well.
Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts.
Makes 4 servings.
Source: modified from Cooking Light
Diana Dishes 