The Midwestern girl in me loves a baked pasta dish. If you spend enough time digging through the archives of this site you’ll probably feel sort of appalled at the number of casseroles and casserole-like dishes I’ve managed to kludge together over the years. Give me a baking dish and a hodgepodge of ingredients, and I’ll make you a casserole. Some people aren’t into those kinds of things, but to those people I say, you are missing out. Unless you don’t like pasta (in which case, who are you?) what could be wrong with pasta baked into a dish with other yummy things?
The idea for this particular awesome casserole came to me because I had some leftover satay sauce sitting in my refrigerator, crying out to be used. I intended to make straight forward chicken on skewers, to dip into the sauce, but it just seemed so boring. So already-done. Plus our grill was out of propane, and unless your chicken on skewers can be grilled, there seems to be no point.
Early in the morning on the day the meal in question was planned, a casserole snuck its way into my head, as they sometimes do. I spent all day wondering if it would work, if I could possibly make it work. Would the satay sauce be too strong and cloying on its own? Should I water it down with something? What other vegetables could go into this casserole? Could I avoid going to the market? Would my brother, who was coming over for dinner, be grossed out by a Thai Chicken Satay Casserole?
I’m pleased to report this one was a total winner. It brings the comfort food factor of pasta into a crazy, spicy, heated up dance with chile peppers and a super special (and EASY) peanut-y Thai sauce. The cabbage adds some good texture, and the carrots, thank goodness, bring some color to what otherwise would be a very boring dish to look at. If we had some, I would have sprinkled the top of this goodness with some cilantro. But I mentioned that I didn’t want to go to the market, yes?
The sauce recipe comes from the blog She Simmers, and if you’re looking for some well-written Thai recipes you should look no further. This blog is great overall: the photos and writing are captivating, and I love how well researched every post is. I originally made her recipe for Thai Peanut Sauce for a Thai Chicken Pizza (see how much I love to totally Americanize other countries’ cuisines?), and we had ton leftover. You could easily use the full recipe for this pasta dish alone, and it would be just fine. But if you want to use a few tablespoons for a Thai Chicken Pizza (or a sandwich or something) that would not be a terrible idea.
Thai Chicken Satay Pasta
Sauce recipe adapted from She Simmers
For the sauce
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (I don’t use light coconut milk; thick is best here)
- a few tablespoons of Thai red curry paste (use your own judgement and taste here)
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- a few tablespoons agave nectar (add to taste)
For the pasta
- 1-2 tablespoon peanut or olive oil
- 2 chicken thighs
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 3 small carrots, sliced
- 1 Serrano chile, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3-4 cups cooked pasta
- salt and lime juice to taste
- bread crumbs to top
First, make the sauce. Whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, peanut butter, salt, and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the agave nectar to taste. Heat, whisking continuously, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through and well blended. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium heat. When it’s very hot, add the oil, and cook the chicken thighs until they are browned on both sides, about 4 or 5 minutes each side. They don’t have to be cooked all the way through. Set the chicken pieces aside.
Add a bit more oil to the skillet, and add the cabbage and the carrots. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the chile and the garlic and saute for another few minutes.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Stir together the cooked pasta, sauteed vegetables, chicken, and the satay sauce. Taste and add salt and/or lime juice, if needed. Put the mixture in a baking dish, and top with bread crumbs. Bake the mixture for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving.