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Monday, September 13, 2021

Chinese Spaghetti. Fun, frugal, and the family will love it!

Chinese Spaghetti is my go to recipe when I need to get a frugal dinner on the table fast! Calling for half a pound of ground beef, this delicious pasta main dish will keep everyone happy and fed, while helping to keep food costs in check...


Honestly it is not Chinese and it is not Spaghetti!

We have been enjoying Chinese Spaghetti for decades, and I must confess it is not really Chinese nor is it Italian Spaghetti! For me, Spaghetti is covered in a red sauce and I sprinkle lots of parmesan cheese over the top! But in this main dish recipe for Chinese Spaghetti, the pasta is covered in a creamy, peanut-ty, ginger laced beef sauce. And I absolutely love the green onions sprinkled over the top! 

I have never met anyone who doesn't love this dish!

This fun and delicious pasta is a favorite of everyone who has ever tried it. Plus the crushed red pepper flakes are easy to adjust for your own preference, or you could leave them out if folks at your table do not like them. And instead, offer a bottle of Asian-style hot sauce at the table for those that do! We made this again the other night for our Friday night dinner and a movie. Pasta in a bowl is perfect for dining on the couch...


And since we are all busy, here is a time saving tip for busy times. 

To save time on those really busy days you can put the sauce ingredients together and refrigerate. And of course, cook up the pasta for Chinese Spaghetti ahead of time. To do this simply cook, drain well and refrigerate. It will heat up when you toss it with the peanut sauce before serving. You can even slice up the green onions and put them in the fridge, for a really quick dinner when you get back home. Which makes Chinese Spaghetti a cook's favorite as well. 

You know a recipe is good when your (now grown) children make and enjoy those same recipes from their childhoods, and they are still a favorite for both generations! 

Ingredients needed for this recipe:
  • ground beef
  • oil
  • garlic
  • chicken stock or broth
  • brown sugar
  • ground ginger
  • crushed red pepper flakes
  • soy sauce
  • vinegar
  • spaghetti
  • green onions
You will also need the following:
  • cutting board
  • kitchen knife
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cup
  • medium-sized mixing bowl
  • large skillet
  • large stockpot with a lid
  • large kitchen spoon
  • large platter or bowls for serving
Now we are ready to begin!




Chinese Spaghetti
from a magazine (decades ago), thanked enjoyed many many times!

2 c chicken stock or broth
1/3 c creamy peanut butter
1 T brown sugar
1 t ground ginger
1/8 - 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 T soy sauce
2 T vinegar

1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 T oil
8 oz spaghetti (whole wheat pasta is delicious in this dish!)
1/3 c sliced green onions

Combine the chicken stock, peanut butter, brown sugar, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and vinegar in a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup. Set aside.

Mince the garlic. 

In a large skillet add the oil, then the minced garlic, crumble the ground beef into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is tender and the ground beef is cooked. 

Add the sauce ingredients. Over medium heat cook and stir together until the mixture comes to a boil and the peanut butter had melted into the sauce. Reduce heat if needed and gently simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes. 

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta until tender (but not mushy!). Slice the green onions. 

Drain the pasta well and stir it into the sauce. Toss gently until all of the pasta is coated evenly in the sauce. 


Note: While I cook up whole-wheat spaghetti for Chinese Spaghetti, tonight my daughter was on dinner detail while I got to hold and play with my grandson! It is good either way, choose your own preferred style of pasta . 

To serve you may pile the pasta onto a serving platter and scatter the sliced green onions over the top or dish up into individual bowls and top with the sliced green onion. 

Storage options for Chinese Spaghetti. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing this dish for longer storage due to a loss of texture and flavor. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Chinese Spaghetti has been included below. 
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Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household featured at Full Plate Thursday Linkup!

Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household featured at Full Plate Thursday Linkup!
Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household featured at Full Plate Thursday Linkup!

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Printable "copy and paste" version:
Chinese Spaghetti
from a magazine (decades ago), enjoy every time since!
2 c chicken stock or broth
1/3 c creamy peanut butter
1 T brown sugar
1 t ground ginger
1/8 - 1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 T soy sauce
2 T vinegar

1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 T oil
8 oz spaghetti (whole wheat pasta is delicious in this dish!)
1/3 c sliced green onions


Combine the chicken stock, peanut butter, brown sugar, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and vinegar in a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup. Set aside.

Mince the garlic. 

In a large skillet add the oil, then the minced garlic, crumble the ground beef into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is tender and the ground beef is cooked. 

Add the sauce ingredients. Over medium heat cook and stir together until the mixture comes to a boil and the peanut butter had melted into the sauce. Reduce heat if needed and gently simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes. 

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta until tender (but not mushy!). Slice the green onions. 

Drain the pasta well and stir it into the sauce. Toss gently until all of the pasta is coated evenly in the sauce. 

Storage options for Chinese Spaghetti. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing this dish for longer storage due to a loss of texture and flavor. 

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Would you like to comment?

  1. There are lots of asian noodle dishes that I love, but I struggle with the peanut butter based ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lauren! I understand, I avoided peanut butter while healing some ulcers, I just could not digest it. But I sure enjoyed this dish as soon as I could eat PB again, maybe try some almond butter? I will say that the peanut taste is almost not their with the other seasonings in the sauce. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!

      Delete
  2. Yum looks delicious! I love making a stir fry with spaghetti noodles - such a great alternative to using rice. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
    Jenna ♥
    Stay in touch? Life of an Earth Muffin

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love a good fusion dish!! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party! Have a wonderful week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. We sure have enjoyed this one through the years, no my married daughter makes it!

      Delete
  4. This looks really good. I like the idea of using ingredients in a different way. Thanks for sharing a new recipe for me to try. #HomeMattersParty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a great "pantry ingredients" recipe! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

      Delete
  5. This looks like a good pantry meal to have in your back pocket.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This reminds me of the old myth that Marco Polo brought spaghetti back from his trip to China. Of course pasta was invented both in Italy and in China long before that. Chinese noodles made from wheat, buckwheat, or rice flour are very traditional. So why not Chinese spaghetti?

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree because I doubt that only one person is involved in every invention. I think pasta in one form or another was "invented" by hungry people when their larders were slim...

      Delete
  7. Your Chinese Spaghetti looks delicious, I just pinned it! We featured your awesome post on Full Plate Thursday, 555 last week and thanks so much for sharing with us. Hope to see you again soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  8. Replies
    1. Donna, this is something we make often, especially when my daughter has chosen dinner !

      Delete

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