Pasta & Walnut Stir-Fry

This pasta stir-fry tosses angel hair with toasted walnuts, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper in a soy-based sauce that’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and completely addictive. The whole thing comes together in about 25 minutes.

Toasting the walnuts first is a must. Raw walnuts are soft and slightly bitter, but a few minutes in a hot skillet with a little oil turns them crunchy and nutty with a golden edge that stands up to the soy glaze.

The stir-fry moves fast once the skillet is hot. The vegetables only cook for about 4 minutes total, which keeps the snow peas crisp and the carrots still snappy. The pasta gets tossed in at the end so it soaks up the sauce without going soft.

Kitchen Tips

• Use angel hair or capellini for this. Thicker pasta won’t absorb the sauce the same way and feels heavy against the stir-fried vegetables.
• Keep the heat high during the stir-fry stage. If the skillet isn’t hot enough, the vegetables will steam instead of sear.
• Have everything prepped and sliced before you start cooking. The stir-fry stage moves too fast to stop and chop.
• Add a splash more water if the sauce reduces too much when tossing with the pasta.

Variations

• Add cubed tofu or sliced chicken breast for more protein.
• Swap snow peas for sugar snap peas or broccoli florets.
• Drizzle with toasted sesame oil right before serving for a deeper nutty finish.