Look up “restraint” in the dictionary and you’ll likely find a picture of me photographing a steamy bowl of creamy Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles without somehow diving face first into it. I cannot tell you how fragrant and fabulous these chewy noodles with peanut sauce are. This is the ultimate quick and satisfying meal that you will crave until you try!
Watch How to Make It!
Saucy Peanut Noodles = DROOL
Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles are slurpy, saucy, and perfect for any any time of day. Plus they’re ready in under 20 minutes including prep time. Cook the noodles, make the luscious peanut sauce while the noodles are cooking, then stir them together. That’s it! I like to make these sesame spiked peanut sauce noodles if I’m on my own for dinner (#girldinner) although my entire family love these noodles too. I can also totally see myself making a giant vat of peanut butter noodles with my college roomies back in the day after coming home from a night out. What can I say, they really hit the spot! Each bite hits the five main elements of Thai cooking – sour, salty, sweet, creamy, and spicy – in such a craveable way.
Homemade Peanut Sauce Ingredients
Peanut butter: I use Jif Naturals which, despite the name, does not have the drippy consistency of typical “natural style” peanut butter. If you’re using true natural style peanut butter where the only ingredient is “peanuts”, you might need to up the sweetener in this recipe just a touch. Gluten free tamari: is soy sauce brewed without wheat and it adds saltiness and depth of flavor to these noodles. If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use traditional soy sauce. Coconut sugar: balances out the saltiness from the Tamari. If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand you could sub in brown or white sugar. Sesame oil: Sesame oil and peanut butter are like peanut butter and jelly. That is to say, their flavors pair perfectly together — the combination is very Thai peanut sauce-esque. Siracha chili sauce: brings a touch of heat to these peanut sauce noodles. For a mild dish, stick with 1/2 teaspoon, though feel free to add as much as you like. Aromatics: ground ginger and fresh garlic add a ton of flavor to this quick cooking dish. Lime juice: cuts through the big flavors in the peanut sauce, and freshens everything up. I also like to squeeze fresh lime juice over my noodles before digging in.
Peanut Sauce Noodle Options
I make Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles with anything I’ve got on hand and usually prefer brown rice pasta vs a corn/rice blend pasta because they have a really satisfying chew. Here’s what usually works best:
Spaghetti Angel hair pasta (capellini). I like Jovial brand. Ramen noodles. I like Lotus Foods Rice Ramen.
If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use soba noodles or regular wheat noodles.
Switch it Up
As written, this noodle recipe is not only gluten free, but vegan too! That said, it’s a great base recipe to add protein or fresh vegetables to. Here are some ideas: Ok enough chatting – raid the pantry then dive into this bowl of deliciousness!
How to Make Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Start by cooking pasta in a large pot of boiling water. These photos show gluten-free spaghetti, but angel hair and ramen noodles both work great. BEFORE DRAINING scoop out 1 cup pasta cooking water which we’ll add to the dish at the end to make it deliciously saucy.
Step 2: Make the Homemade Peanut Sauce
While the pasta is cooking, stir together the sesame peanut sauce ingredients — it’s ok if the sauce isn’t completely smooth as the hot noodles and pasta cooking water will melt and meld everything together. We’ve got:
Peanut butter Gluten free Tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free) Coconut sugar Sesame oil Siracha chili sauce Ground ginger Fresh garlic Fresh lime juice
Step 3: Combine
Add the sauce mixture to the hot noodles along with minced peanuts and chopped green onions then drizzle in a bit of the hot pasta cooking water and stir to combine to create a light sauce. Start with a few Tablespoons of hot pasta cooking water then add more until the sauce reaches your desired texture.
Scoop the Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles into bowls then garnish with extra green onions and minced peanuts plus fresh lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. SO GOOD. I hope you love this simple and delicious dish — enjoy!
More Take-Out Inspired Recipes
Beef and Broccoli Potsticker Noodle Bowls Chicken Pad Thai Easy Chicken Fried Rice Thai Sweet Potato Curry Vietnamese-Style Caramelized Pork Bowls
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