Spicy Pesto Soba

It's strange to think that I haven't always known about Pesto, I didn't eat it growing up, but now I can't imagine not having this dish and other Pesto dishes as part of my recipe collection! 

I was introduced to this dish and Pesto by my first post college roommate Jennifer.  She had been to a party of sorts and they had served this.  She loved it so much that she got the recipe and made it for us to try.  I fell in love and have since made it several times for my family.  My sister will also make this for her family as her husband is a big fan of it.  I love the contrast between the Pesto, soy sauce and even sugar in the sauce plus the crunchy snap peas that add great color and texture!  The ingredient list may seem random, but they come together perfectly!  And don't let the name fool you, it isn't spicy at all!

If you happen to have your chicken pre-cooked, this recipe can come together very fast and be ready in no time at all. 

You boil the pasta for a couple of minutes and add the snow or snap peas.  Drain and then cook the sauce.  When that is heated, add the noodles, peas and everything else in.  Stir to coat and make sure it is heated through.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the sauce to fit your tastes.  If when you are stirring it, if you think it needs more, you can add a little more Pesto, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.  When it's to your liking, serve!

I hope you try this and love it as much as I do!

Spicy Pesto Soba

Ingredients:

16 oz uncooked soba, angel hair or linguini pasta
3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded/cubed
3 cups snow or snap peas
12 oz of Basil Pesto
6 Tbls soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
5 Tbls sugar
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese, colby jack works great
3/4 cup green onions

Directions:

1. Boil pasta for about 4 minutes and then add snow peas and cook for 1-2 more  minutes.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  In same pan as used for the pasta, mix pesto, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar until warm.
2. Add pasta, snow peas, cheese onions and chicken to sauce.  Stir to coat and cook until heated through.  Serve and enjoy!