Ginger Peanut Pasta Salad

Friend Chef Valene made this yummy pasta salad for our Lake Powell trip.  I was so glad there were leftovers because I could eat it every day for lunch!  Yum!

Ginger-Peanut Pasta Salad

Ginger Vinaigrette
• 1/4
  cup salad oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1-2 Tbsp.grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoon chili oil or several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce

Salad

8 ounces bowtie pasta or corkscrew macaroni or fine noodles, broken up

• 20 fresh pea pods, tips and strings removed (about 1 cup)

• 1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and julienned
• 2 medium carrots, julienned (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium yellow and/or green sweet pepper, cutinto thin strips
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/2 cup bias-sliced green onions
• 3 tablespoons- 1/2 bunch snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 30 seconds of cooking time, add pea pods; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile, in a screw-top jar, combine salad oil, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and chili oil or bottled hot pepper sauce. Cover and shake to combine.
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta and pea pod mixture, cucumber, carrots, sweet pepper, radishes, green onions, and cilantro. Add dressing, and toss gently to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 8 hours.  To serve, toss salad and add peanuts just before serving.  6-8 servings