Looking for leftover spaghetti recipes? Don't let those noodles go to waste! This healthy Peanut Pasta Salad is a quick and delicious way to use up leftover spaghetti noodles, transforming them into a vibrant and flavorful meal! We've all been there – you cook a big pot of spaghetti, and inevitably, you have too many leftovers. But what do you do with them? If you're tired of the same old sauce and want something quick and easy while avoiding food waste, this is the perfect recipe!
A little spicy, and full of crunchy vegetables, this Peanut Pasta Salad with spicy peanut sauce is a delicious way to use up leftover spaghetti noodles and turn them into something new. It's fast and easy to make and perfect for dinner, lunch boxes, as a side dish, and potlucks! It pairs well with my Garlic Bread (from Baguette).
Jump to:
- Why this Recipe Works
- 🍒Reader Review
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 🔪How to Make Peanut Pasta Salad
- 🍝Which type of Spaghetti to use
- 👪 Serving size
- 🔢WW POINTS
- 🌡️Storing
- ❔Recipe FAQs
- 🍝Leftover Spaghetti Noodles
- 🥗 More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Comments & Reviews
- 📋 Peanut Pasta Salad (with Leftover Spaghetti Noodles) Recipe
Why this Recipe Works
- It's the Ultimate Solution for Leftover Spaghetti!
- Transforms Leftovers into Something Completely New: Tired of eating the same old spaghetti and sauce day after day? This peanut pasta salad completely reimagines your leftovers, turning them into a vibrant, flavorful, and exciting dish. No one will ever guess they're eating leftovers!
- Quick & Easy: Ready in Minutes: The beauty of this recipe is its speed. With cooked spaghetti already on hand, the salad comes together in just 15 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights or a quick lunch.
- No-Cook Convenience: Aside from the initial spaghetti cooking (which you've already done!), there's no cooking required. Simply chop the veggies, whisk together the dressing, and toss.
- Deliciously Versatile: This recipe works whether your leftover spaghetti is plain, lightly sauced, or even slightly overcooked. The flavorful peanut sauce coats everything in deliciousness, masking any imperfections.
- Perfectly Balanced Flavors & Crunchy Texture: The spicy peanut sauce strikes the ideal balance of sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy. The addition of fresh ginger and garlic elevates the flavor profile, creating a complex and satisfying dish. The fresh vegetables (carrots, cucumber, red pepper) and roasted peanuts provide a delightful crunch that complements the soft spaghetti noodles.
- Reduces Food Waste: This recipe is a champion for sustainability. It helps you reduce food waste by creatively repurposing leftovers, saving you money and reducing your environmental impact..
Leftovers are one of my favorite things in this world! There isn't much that beats cooking once and eating twice, right? I like to make this Vegan Pasta Salad the day after I make spaghetti because I inevitably end up with too many noodles.
This recipe works perfectly well even if your leftover spaghetti noodles have no sauce on them! The peanut sauce itself provides all the necessary flavor and moisture. So, if you're looking for leftover spaghetti recipes, you'll love this one! And be sure to check out my other Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad. It works well with leftover spaghetti noodles too!
This pasta salad is definitely a fan favorite! When my nephew was coming to visit, I asked him what he wanted me to make (to pick anything I've posted on Instagram), and he chose this. And he's a meat-eating guy!!
🍒Reader Review
"Great flavor. I added cherry tomatoes to the salad and a bit of sesame oil to the dressing. Will definitely be making this again." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love recipes that use up leftover spaghetti noodles with no sauce, then try my Easy Thai Pork and Noodles Recipe! And be sure to check out my Healthy Leftover Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas recipe if you have leftover ham to use up!
🥘Ingredient Notes
- Chunky peanut butter. This gives the dressing a yummy peanut flavor with some texture.
- Rice Vinegar. Adds a mild tanginess to the dressing! I like to use seasoned rice vinegar for extra flavor.
- Fresh ginger and garlic (minced). Add a fresh and fragrant zest to this salad.
- Sesame Seeds. Add a delicious sesame taste and a nice texture.
- Sriracha sauce. Sriracha sauce gives it the spiciness. Add more for more spice and less for less spice!
- Cooked spaghetti noodles (cold noodles). Leftover spaghetti is the star of the show and serves as the starch in this salad.
- Fresh Cilantro (chopped). Cilantro adds a welcome burst of freshness and lemon-peppery taste and helps to balance the spice.
- Roasted Unsalted Peanuts. I like to use roasted peanuts. Ensure there is no salt on them, or they will be too salty and ruin the salad. Peanuts serve as the protein in this salad and add to the texture!
*see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Peanut Butter. You can use smooth peanut butter or light peanut butter to reduce the fat content.
- Spaghetti Noodles. You can substitute a different type of noodle, such as leftover vermicelli, fettuccine noodles or rice noodles.
- Garlic. You can use store-bought minced garlic in a jar.
- Olive oil. You can use canola, vegetable, or sesame oil (I wouldn't recommend using straight sesame oil, as it's very strong - just use a little mixed with another oil).
- Rice Vinegar. You can use plain or seasoned rice vinegar.
- Unsalted Peanuts. You can use raw, blanched, or boiled peanuts. But if you're using raw, it's recommended that you cook them first.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Store your ginger and peanuts in the freezer: They will last much longer! You can take your ginger out and grate it (while still frozen) into food. This is so much easier!
- Use leftover spaghetti: Let the noodles cool completely before mixing to prevent them from absorbing too much dressing.
- Rinse with cold water: This stops the cooking process and prevents sticking.
- Mix dressing separately: Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the noodles to allow the flavors to meld.
- Roast the peanuts: Lightly toast them for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
- Add a protein boost: Grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, or chickpeas make this a heartier meal.
- Store dressing separately: If making ahead, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve to avoid soggy noodles.
- Refresh leftovers: Add a splash of rice vinegar before serving to revive the flavors.
🔪How to Make Peanut Pasta Salad
- Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, olive oil, sriracha sauce, water, minced ginger, minced garlic, and brown sugar.
- Step 2: Combine cold cooked noodles with sliced vegetables, cilantro, and peanuts.
- Step 3: Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix well. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, peanuts, and additional sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
🍝Which type of Spaghetti to use
Then, there's the question of which spaghetti noodles to use. Whole wheat spaghetti takes a long time to cook, and personally, I find it a bit too dense. I prefer to use "smart pasta" because it cooks faster than whole wheat, but you still get 4X as much fibre than if you ate white pasta.
Although it's not quite as healthy as whole wheat, you are still getting that fiber. And if you're not a fan of whole wheat, it's a good alternative. You can read more about smart pasta vs. whole wheat pasta here.
👪 Serving size
This recipe serves 8. However, you can easily adjust the recipe to serve as many as you need. Simply click on the serving size, choose the number of servings you'd like, and the amounts will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW POINTS
This recipe is 9 ww points using regular pasta and regular peanut butter. Use light peanut butter to reduce the fat content and bring down the Weight Watcher points. You can also use a ww friendly pasta to further reduce the points.
🌡️Storing
You can store this in the fridge for up to 2 days after you make it OR make it 2 days in advance. I would not recommend storing it longer because the veggies will get soggy.
These ingredients don't stand up to freezing.
❔Recipe FAQs
Of course! Simply cook spaghetti according to package directions, then rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking. This will give you the cold spaghetti noodles you need for this easy peanut pasta salad recipe. I would not recommend using warm pasta, as it will wilt the vegetables.
Yes, you can! The noodles, vegetables, and dressing can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately in the refrigerator. Combine them just before serving to prevent the noodles from becoming soggy. For best results, don't store the pasta salad for more than 2 days after mixing.
Absolutely! While this recipe is specifically designed to use leftover spaghetti noodles, you can easily substitute other types of pasta. Fettuccine, linguine, or even rice noodles work well. Just be mindful that different noodles will absorb the dressing differently, so you may need to adjust the amount of dressing accordingly.
So if you have leftover spaghetti noodles to use up, you'll LOVE this Peanut Noodle Salad with creamy peanut sauce!
🍝Leftover Spaghetti Noodles
The best part is that my leftover spaghetti noodles (without sauce) get a new life with this cold salad. And that is yet another beautiful thing about this leftover noodle dish - not having to eat the same dish twice.
And if you're looking for even more ideas, check out this post: What to do with leftover spaghetti noodles!
Enjoy!
🥗 More Pasta Salad Recipes
Comments & Reviews
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📋 Peanut Pasta Salad (with Leftover Spaghetti Noodles) Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ½ cup chunky peanut butter (you can substitute creamy peanut butter)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar * I like it tangy! Use ¼ cup if you like it less tangy.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic (minced) or use jarred minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon sriracha sauce *use more or less, depending how spicy you like it
- ¼ cup water
Salad:
- 4-6 cups cooked spaghetti noodles (cold noodles)
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced into strips
- ½ cup green onions chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
Garnish:
- cilantro springs
- unsalted roasted peanuts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, olive oil, sriracha sauce, water, minced ginger, minced garlic and brown sugar.½ cup chunky peanut butter, ¼ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced), 3 cloves fresh garlic (minced), 2 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 2 tablespoon sriracha sauce, ¼ cup water
- Combine cold, cooked pasta with sliced and chopped vegetables, cilantro and peanuts. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix well.4-6 cups cooked spaghetti noodles, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 red bell pepper, ½ cup green onions, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- Garnish with additional chopped cilantro and peanuts, if desired. Enjoy!*Add more or less sriracha to your preference.cilantro springs, unsalted roasted peanuts
Notes
-
- Store your ginger and peanuts in the freezer: They will last much longer! You can take your ginger out and grate it (while still frozen) into food. This is so much easier!
-
- Use leftover spaghetti: Let the noodles cool completely before mixing to prevent them from absorbing too much dressing.
-
- Rinse with cold water: This stops the cooking process and prevents sticking.
-
- Mix dressing separately: Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the noodles to allow the flavors to meld.
-
- Roast the peanuts: Lightly toast them for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
-
- Add a protein boost: Grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, or chickpeas make this a heartier meal.
-
- Store dressing separately: If making ahead, keep the dressing separate until ready to serve to avoid soggy noodles.
-
- Refresh leftovers: Add a splash of rice vinegar before serving to revive the flavors.
-
- Peanut Butter. You can use smooth peanut butter or light peanut butter to reduce the fat content.
-
- Spaghetti Noodles. You can substitute a different type of noodle, such as leftover vermicelli, fettuccine noodles or rice noodles.
-
- Garlic. You can use store-bought minced garlic in a jar.
-
- Olive oil. You can use canola, vegetable, or sesame oil (I wouldn't recommend using straight sesame oil, as it's very strong - just use a little mixed with another oil).
-
- Rice Vinegar. You can use plain or seasoned rice vinegar.
-
- Unsalted Peanuts. You can use raw, blanched, or boiled peanuts. But if you're using raw, it's recommended that you cook them first.
Katie
This is quite honestly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!
Terri Gilson
Hi Katie:
I'm so glad to hear that - we love it too!
Terri
Char
Super fast. Super yum. A really fresh, tasty dish for summer. Packed with flavour.
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Char!
Monique
This salad is DIVINE! The ginger and cilantro just sing! It's also flexible and/or forgiving. I have mirin I rarely use, so I subbed some for the b. sugar. (I still had to add about 1 tsp of b. sugar to get my desired sweetness.) Didn't have enough RV, so made up the difference with WWV and lime juice. Added some cooked shrimp, a few chickpeas and avocado to the finished product. Wow! I'm keeping the dressing, pasta, and veggie mix all separate since I'm cooking for only 2 people, and this recipe made a lot of dressing. It was all so delicious. I can't say enough good things about it!
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad you loved it, Monique!
GoldberryMcPhee
AWESOME.
Used leftover small bowtie noodles & finely grated the carrot, no cilantro & agave nectar instead of brown sugar - we paired it with sesame teriyaki soaked grilled salmon.
I cut up the second half of my salmon portion & mixed it in with my serving of leftover spicy peanut pasta.
YUM.
This was right up my 15 year old's alley to.
Win..win..lol
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad you liked it! Salmon sounds like a great pairing!
Jersey Girl Cooks
I have leftover noodles in the fridge. Now I know what to make with them!