Spaghetti with peanut butter sauce

Treat yourself and your beloved ones to a special, easy to prepare spaghetti meal today. The addition of sesame oil is the secret to its most exquisite flavour.

Ingredients:

1/2- cup smooth peanut butter

2 tbsps medium soy sauce

2 tsp crushed garlic

1/8-tsp chili paste (optional)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tsp fresh finely crushed ginger

1 packet whole wheat spaghetti

1 cup mixed chopped vegetables (dhania, terere, broccoli, watercress)

Method

1. In a cooking vessel, boil enough water for the spaghetti.

2. In a bowl,  combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chili paste, sesame oil and crushed ginger.

3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for five minutes. Add the mixed vegetables and cook the spaghetti for a further 7 minutes or until it is firm to the bite. The vegetables should be tender. Drain, and reserve one cup of liquid.

4. Rinse the pasta and vegetables in cool water to remove excess starch. Mix the reserved cooking liquid with the peanut sauce and add to the spaghetti and vegetables. Mix well until coated. Serve with accompaniments.

Cooking tips:

• Make chilli paste as follows: cut and crush chilli peppers, add crushed garlic, oil and vinegar to make a paste. It is very hot, therefore use sparingly in a variety of dishes.

• You may replace the spaghetti with Chinese noodles (not the instant variety).

• Add shredded cooked chicken if you prefer a meaty dish.