Boy, do I have a tasty recipe for y’all today! First, let me give you a little background info.
I grew up in a foodie family, but what most of you don’t know, is I have a unique heritage. My Mom’s side is Japanese and my Dad’s is Italian. So at a young age, I was introduced to sushi and somen noodles and teriyaki and tempura along with marinara and ravioli and Bolognese and gnocchi. I, of course, love it all and this early intro to all the tasty flavors of both cultures made me the foodie I am today.
So, not that you know more about me, let me tell you about this tasty meal.
This Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs with Peanut Sauce is essentially Nicole on a plate. It’s an Asian dish inspired by a classic Italian dish. I made my favorite juicy and tender chicken meatballs and jazzed them up with Asian ingredients like ginger and cilantro and I used Yaki Soba stir fry noodles in place of spaghetti and a delicious homemade peanut sauce instead of the traditional marinara pasta sauce. I loved how this dish came out. It was fun and unique and brought me back to childhood!
JSL Foods, who makes the Fortune brand, sent me a package of their Yaki Soba noodles to use for my recipe. I loved it so much, I am entering it in their Fortune Asian Noodle Blogger Recipe Challenge this month.
Wish me luck and comment below to let me know what you think of this recipe.
Fun Fact: My grandma, when she moved to the states from Japan, swore by JSL Foods authentic products and they were one of the only brands she would buy.
Connect with JSL Foods here:
http://www.jslfoods.com/
Find JSL Foods at your local Safeway and Target stores.
Asian Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 17.7 oz package of Yaki Soba Stir Fry Noodles {I use Fortune brand}
- 1/4 cup green onions diced for garnish
- 1 tbsp canola oil
For Asian Peanut Sauce:
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp hot chili paste or to taste
For Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/2 shallot grated
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro stems removed and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger minced
- salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Gently mix together all meatball ingredients in a large bowl.
- Roll small 1 inch meatballs by hand and place in a greased mini muffin pan {or a baking sheet}.
- Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat and add oil.
- Add all Yaki Soba noodles {will come in 3 pkgs} and gently break apart and stir fry for one minute.
- Add 3/4 to 1 cup of peanut sauce {according to taste, I like more sauce} to the noodles and mix well. Remove from heat.
- Loosen meatballs from the muffin pan with a fork and toss with the noodles.
- Pour onto plates and garnish with diced green onions on top.
For the sauce:
- In a food processor or a blender add all the sauce ingredients.
- Blend on high speed until smooth.
- If you like it spicier add another ½-1 tsp hot chili paste.
- Pour into a bowl .
I start by making the Peanut Sauce.
First peel a one inch piece of ginger.
Then thinly slice the ginger.
In a food processor or a blender add all the sauce ingredients.
Blend on high speed until smooth.
If you like it spicier add another ½-1 tsp hot chili paste.
The sauce should be smooth and not too thick.
Now it’s time to make the meatballs.
I use a lot of Asian ingredients to make these
flavorful meatballs including ginger, shallot, and cilantro.
I use a box grater to grate my half a shallot.
This way the juice and the finely grated pieces all go into the meatballs and help keep it moist,
I also grate my ginger or you can finely dice it.
Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl.
Roll small 1 inch meatballs by hand and
place in a greased mini muffin pan {or a baking sheet}.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Now it’s time to cook the Yaki Soba noodles.
These noodles come in three smaller packages with seasoning sauce.
Save the sauce for another use and open all three packs of noodles.
If the noodles are sticky you can run them under water for a few minutes.
Add oil to a wok or large skillet over medium high heat then add all Yaki Soba noodles.
Gently break apart and stir fry for one minute.
Add 3/4 to 1 cup of peanut sauce {according to taste, I like more sauce}
to the noodles and mix well. Remove from heat.
Loosen meatballs from the muffin pan with a fork.
How perfect are these beauties?
Add meatballs to the noodles.
Toss to coat.
Pour onto plates and garnish with diced green onions on top.
I loved how this dish came out. It was fun and unique and brought me back to childhood!
Stella was a fan of these Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs and even licked her plate clean!
Wow, Nicole…this looks so good!! I can't wait to try this recipe. What a great way to combine 2 ethnic cultures into something so tasteful!!