Asian Pasta with Spicy Tempeh

Ingredients

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. plus 1/4 teaspoon
sesame oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
2-3 tsp. Chinese chile
paste with garlic
8 oz. tempeh (mixed grain)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3/4 lb. dried angel hair pasta
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen snap peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil over high heat. In a large, wide serving bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, sugar, and chile paste. Cut tempeh into 1-inch cubes; place in soy mixture and toss gently to coat all sides. In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast almonds in 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil until golden, 3?4 minutes. Set aside.

2. Remove tempeh from serving bowl with a slotted spoon; using the same pan, cook tempeh, turning, until cubes are browned, about 5?8 minutes. While tempeh cooks, wash peas and chop cilantro and green onions. When cubes are toasted, return tempeh to serving bowl.

3. Stir pasta into boiling water and cook, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in peas and cook 1 minute longer. Drain well. Transfer hot pasta to serving bowl with tempeh and sauce; toss. Add cilantro and green onions; toss. Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

For a kid-friendly substitution, skip the tempeh and throw fresh or frozen peeled shrimp into the boiling pasta pot at the same time as the snap peas. (Use the marinade as the pasta sauce.) To save time, start heating the pasta water before you do anything else; cover the pot to help the water boil faster.

Courtesy of Sprouts Magazine, Mar/Apr 2010

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