Spring Noodle Stir-Fry...

Last week we made a dish that called for asparagus, but the spears at the market were definitely looking sad and pretty unappealing. However, we tracked over to a different area yesterday and snatched up a heavy pound that looked strong and vibrant, which means this Spring Noodle Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Walnuts I was waiting to make went back on the menu!

Asparagus was one of the numerous vegetables that I don't think I even tried once when I was younger and if I was served it, I probably slipped it to the dogs so I wouldn't have to try it. I often think about all of the foods I missed out on years ago because I was so stubborn and set in my picky ways... however, I'm thankful how much I can appreciate them now.

While I waited on a pot of water to boil for the pasta, I made a piquant dressing by whisking together toasted sesame oil, cider vinegar, soy sauce, a healthy four cloves of garlic and fresh ginger, along with a couple shakes from our jar of crushed red pepper flakes. Once the pasta was dropped, I drizzle a little more of that toasted sesame oil into a skillet to begin cooking an onion that we cut up into chunky pieces. A few minutes before the onions were completely softened, we tossed in the diagonally sliced asparagus and let it go for a couple minutes. Our asparagus was on the thinner side, but if yours are thicker, you may want to add the pieces when you add the onion to allow enough time for them to cook.

Crisp sugar snap peas that we halved were then placed into the skillet, along with the toasted sesame mixture we prepared earlier. Since they cook in a flash and you want them to retain a bite, only a minute ticks by before we slid the cooked pasta in and tossed all the ingredients together to coat in that snazzy dressing. After plating the servings, we scattered toasted chopped walnuts over each for a crunchy finish to this dish. Since the pasta we used, vermicelli, was quite thin, it only took a few minutes to cook and since we had enough time to prep the remaining ingredients as we waited for the water to boil, I think we spent less than 20 minutes getting this together!

Even though there was a paltry ounce of dry pasta per serving, bulking up the meal with those nutrient-dense vegetables and omega-3 rich walnuts made for a gratifying meal that was filling without making you feel overly full when your plate was clean. I didn't have any on hand, but I bet some toasted sesame seeds scattered on top would be a nice way to weave another layer of sesame into the dish if you wanted to leave off the walnuts - or, if your so inclined, go crazy and add them both!

Recipes
Spring Noodle Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Walnuts