Turkey and Noodles With Peanut Sauce

Lynne the Pirate Queen's Note:

I found this on another recipe site years ago, and tweaked it to my tastes. The flavors remind me of Thai cuisine, which I love. Although the recipe calls for turkey, I've also made this quite successfully with chicken, and even omitted the poultry altogether to make a nice veggie-friendly pasta salad. Just about any combination of veggies can work in this recipe, so feel free to adjust them according to your tastes. I find that this also tastes great chilled and served as a type of chicken salad, stuffed into whole wheat pita pockets.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb pasta (if possible, whole grain, I prefer rotini, but linguine or penne works well too)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup peanut butter (I prefer chunky, but smooth works fine)
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled gingerroot
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lb cooked turkey, shredded (about 4 cups)
• 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:

1. Cook pasta, according to directions on package, until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then rinse noodles in a colander under cold water. Drain well, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile: In a small, heavy saucepan, cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Whisk in the broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar and ginger and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice.
3. In a large bowl, toss together turkey, celery, green onions, carrot, bell peppers, and broccoli. Add the sauce and stir to coat. If sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water to thin it.
4. Serve immediately.