Asian Vegetable Pasta (aka Thai Chicken Pasta)

One of my favorite places to eat is The Cheesecake Factory and the dish I got every time was the Thai Chicken Pasta. It just so happened I stumbled onto a recipe that is easy and very close to the dish I always ordered. When I set out to make this I had no idea what it was. It just sounded good. But it ended up being just like one of my favorite dishes. Lucky me! I am so happy to have this. Now I have to find a yummy recipe for the vanilla bean cheesecake that ALWAYS came after.

1 pkg. Linguine

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-in. pieces

1 c. julienned carrots

1/3 c. peanut butter

6 Tbsp.rice vinegar

6 Tbsp. soy sauce

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 -1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 c. unsalted peanuts

Boil water. Add pasta. When almost tender add asparagus and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in carrots, cook for 1 minute or until pasta is tender. Drain the pasta and keep warm.

Sauce: In a small saucepan bring vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes to a boil. Add peanut butter. Take off heat and stir until smooth. Add sauce to warm pasta. Sprinkle peanuts.

Note: You can also add cooked chicken, bean sprouts or whatever else sounds good to you.