Thai Peanut Pasta (Vegetarian)

Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat with the olive oil or a spray of non-stick cooking spray.

While the pan heats, combine the peanut butter, vinegar, Sriracha and soy sauce in a bowl and mix together with a whisk or fork. Mixture will be slightly lumpy. Taste, and add more Sriracha to your taste, then set aside.

When the pan is hot, add the zucchini and bell pepper and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until charred on the outside but still crisp. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Add the drained bamboo shoots and turn off the heat.

Into the pot that you used to boil the spaghetti, toss the drained pasta, peanut sauce, zucchini/pepper mixture and a splash of the reserved cooking water with tongs until combined. Taste, and add more cooking water to thin the sauce, more soy sauce for salt, or more Sriracha for spice.

Serve in bowls topped with cabbage, scallions, sesame seeds and a lime wedge.

Notes:
– If you don’t enjoy bamboo shoots, omit or replace with another Asian-style canned veggie.
– If you don’t use crunchy peanut butter, feel free to add some chopped peanuts to the mixture at the end to add some crunch.
– If you forget to reserve pasta water, no worries! Splash in some warm water or vegetable stock when mixing the sauce with the pasta.