Peanut butter is really addictive and very cheap, at least here in Spain so I buy it very occasionally because it's hard for me not to finish the jar in one day. Because of its high calorie content, it is ideal if you are exercising, but from time to time, well, you may feel like indulging!
This is a perfect recipe for when you get home and realize that you haven't taken anything out of the freezer, you're tired and want something hot and quick to make. You discard the salads or a snack, start looking around the kitchen for substantial ingredients to replenish your strength, and decide on a dish of pasta with peanut butter, an unusual combination of flavours but it works a treat. If you like peanut butter then you will love this. Spaghetti, rigatoni, macaroni, pasta shells - anything will work well with this unusual sauce.
Ingredients:
250g dried rigatoni
salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
175ml milk
freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp freshly chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil or tarragon
Instructions:
Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water as directed by package instructions.
Meanwhile, gently fry the onion, garlic and lemon rind in the the olive oil in a large non-stick pan.
Gradually stir in the peanut butter and milk and bring to boil, adding a little more milk if sauce becomes too thick.
Drain the penne pasta and return to pan with sauce. Toss together well and season with pepper. Serve sprinkled with freshly chopped herbs.