If you are bored of tomato sauce on your pasta this is a great and very different alternative. Cook your pasta (whole grain of course), throw in some cooked veggies and top with an easy flavorful sauce that is full of heart healthy peanuts. If you like, you can add in some left over chicken from the previous nights meal or if you are a vegetarian, tofu would also be great in this dish. Personally, I like to just sprinkle a few peanuts over the top to give it a little bit of crunch, and maybe a little piece or two of chicken.

Serves 6

Ingredients

12 oz Whole Grain Pasta (long pasta such as spaghetti, fettuccine or capellini works best)

Cooking Oil Spray

Florets Chopped from 1 Head of Broccoli or approximately 3.5 Cups of Broccoli Florets

1 Cup Shredded Carrots

1 8oz package of sliced Mushrooms

1 8oz package of Mung Bean Sprouts

5 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter

4-5 Tablespoons of Hot Water

1/4 Cup Reduced Sodium Soy or Tamari Sauce

2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger

2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking oil. Add broccoli florets and carrots. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the ginger and 1 teaspoon of the garlic. Stir to coat. Continue cooking for a few minutes until warm and slightly cooked but still firm. Mix in mushrooms followed by bean sprouts. Stir and cook for a few more minutes until vegetables are almost as desired and then turn stove top to a medium low. Add peanut butter to a small mixing bowl and add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing with peanut butter in order to make it a thinner consistency. (The water must be hot to help melt the peanut butter and make it easier to stir) Add soy sauce and mix until uniform. Add 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce and mix. Turn off heat on the stove top if vegetables are cooked as desired. If not, continue cooking until desired and then turn off heat. Add peanut sauce to veggies and mix to coat. Add cooked pasta and mix until well blended.