peanut ginger noodles with roasted broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots

Everyone should have a workhorse dinner they lean on once a week. You know the amounts by heart or by eye, and the choreography of the dish has become second nature—to the point that you can turn your brain off for 30 minutes and still end up with something reliably delicious. This is my workhorse dinner.

It’s the sauce that makes this dish, and it leaves plenty of room for play; just take a taste and adjust as you like. Not salty enough? Add more soy sauce. Too salty? Add more lime juice. Want more heat? Up the ginger! Want more sweet? Fetch thy honey.

Whatever flavor profile you choose, just remember to set aside some pasta cooking water, as it's integral to making a glossy sauce that clings to every noodle. This nutty, salty sauce pairs so beautifully with the carrots and peppers that turn sweet in the oven. The roasted broccoli adds yet another layer of flavor—bittersweet green like charred meat trees.

Hm. I feel a broccoli poem coming on.

In the meantime, the recipe:

peanut ginger noodles with roasted broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots

Makes 2 or 3 servings

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small broccoli crowns, florets cut from stalk and sliced into smaller pieces

2 small or one large carrot, sliced

One quarter of a red onion, sliced

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

Olive oil

Kosher salt

6 oz long noodles

Optional garnishes: Sesame seeds, mini cucumber, cilantro, lime wedge

Peanut Ginger Sauce

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

1/2 tablespoon grated ginger root (ground ginger works too)

1 clove garlic, grated

1.5 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)

1/2–3/4 cup pasta cooking water

Directions:

Directions:

1. Prep the vegetables and toss them with enough olive oil to lightly coat, plus a generous sprinkle of salt. Spread them out on a pan and roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes or until their edges are a bit charred.

2. Once the vegetables are in the oven, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt and oil the water generously before adding in the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente.

3. While the pasta cooks, make the peanut ginger sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, and honey (if using). 

4. When the pasta is near done, scoop out 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Add 1/4 cup of it to the peanut butter mixture and whisk everything into a sauce. 

5. Strain the noodles and add them to the big sauce bowl. Toss to coat the noodles in the sauce. Around this point, your vegetables should be nicely roasted. Toss those in too, along with another 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.

6. If the noodles aren’t slipping and sliding like noodles ought to, add in the last of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time.

7. Bowl up the noodles and top with any garnishes you’ve got.

And that’s that. Enjoy your tasty bowl of noodles; I’ll keep you posted on that broccoli poem.

Watch the short!