Ingredient Spotlight-Oriental Pasta

I really like Oriental food and try to prepare something Oriental at least once a month.  Although he will eat my fried rice, hubby is not a lover of rice so I was very happy to come across today’s recipe. I found it on a package of Italian Chef Fancy Egg Noodles which is a bit of a strange place to find an Oriental recipe.  I have made this a few times now as an alternative to fried rice, and hubby really likes it.

Of course, I  had to play around with the basic recipe.  I sometimes replace part of the water with a couple of tablespoons of sherry and am thinking about using at least part chicken broth if I am serving this with a chicken dish.  I have made this with noodles, spaghetti, and angel hair pasta.  The pasta in the Oriental food aisle at the grocery story would be good also.  I use sesame oil for part of the vegetable oil and sub frozen green peas for the snow peas most of the time since I always have the green peas on hand.  I am thinking about adding very thin matchstick cut carrots and maybe some chopped red pepper the next time I make this.

Oriental Pasta
adapted from an Italian Chef Noodle package
12 oz. pasta (noodles, spaghetti, angel hair, etc)
1/2 c. water (part sherry if you like)
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
2 t. vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
2 t. sugar
2 t. cornstarch
1  1/2 T. vegetable oil (part sesame oil if you have it)
1/4 c. scallions or green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried ginger
1 c. frozen green peas or 1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed

Cook pasta according to package directions only until al dente.  While noodles are cooking, combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Stir until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.  Set aside.  When pasta is done, drain well.  Heat oil in small skillet.  Add scallions or green onions, garlic and ginger; cook and stir over medium heat about 30 seconds.  Add the peas or snow peas.  Cook, stirring until peas are warmed or snow peas are just beginning to change color.  Place pasta back in the pan it was cooked in.  Add  pea mixture to pasta and mix until pasta is well coated.  Return pan to burner.  Add water/soy sauce mixture and mix well.  Heat and stir over medium heat until sauce is thickened.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.  Garnish with sliced green onions and slivered almonds if desired.  Makes 8 servings.

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