Healthy pasta substitution!

Happy Sunday! Have you all noticed how we can turn almost any vegetable into noodles now? Spiralizers make it fun (and easy) to turn your favorite veggies into the main attraction of a dish, transforming them from a side element into a gorgeous pasta masterpiece. If you don’t have a spiralizer, many grocery stores such as Wegmans sell pre-spiralized veggies that are ready to cook. I bought the butternut squash noodles for this pre-spiralized to avoid peeling a butternut squash.

For tonight’s dinner, I chose butternut squash noodles because I thought they would go well with the peanut sauce. The noodles have the same consistency as regular pasta and are even a bit sweeter because they have the squash flavoring.

Timing: 

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients: Makes 3-4 servings

• 1 Package of Butternut Squash Noodles (or 1/2 a Butternut Squash if using a spiralizer)
• 3/4 Cup Carrots, chopped
• 1/2 Cup Celery, chopped
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
• 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
• 1/2 Cup Green Onion, chopped
• 1/4 Cup Peanuts, crushed
• 2 Chicken Breasts

For the Peanut Dressing:

• 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger, minced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Directions:

Whisk together the ingredients for the peanut dressing in a small bowl. *Optional: let the chicken marinate in the peanut dressing for an hour before cooking* 

Cut the chicken into chunks and cook in a skillet on the stove, stirring occasionally until the pieces are fully cooked inside.

While the chicken is cooking, chop up your veggies and begin to saute them. First add the green onions and bell peppers and saute until soft. Then add the carrots and celery. Once the veggies are all soft, add the butternut squash noodles and mix the veggies around inside the noodles. Stir fry the noodles until soft, about 6 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken on top of the noodle mixture and mix around. Drizzle the peanut dressing on top and mix until evenly distributed.

Crush the peanuts and sprinkle on top before serving, enjoy!