Squash & Two Potatoes with Chicken on Pasta with Passion
Stir-fry chicken with yellow squash, yam, and red potato tosses over angel hair pasta in a zippy orange-juice-and-hot-sauce glaze. Quick one-wok dinner with peanut crunch.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThis colorful wok dinner breaks a few rules and lands somewhere between Chinese stir-fry and pasta-night comfort food. Chicken breast strips sear in a smoking-hot wok with peanuts and sweet onion, then get joined by red bell pepper and green onion for a quick stir-fry.
The unusual part comes next: cubes of yam and potato fold in, and everything finishes over angel hair pasta rather than rice or noodles.
The sauce is where the passion part of the name probably earned its place. Chicken broth thickened with cornstarch, a splash of orange juice for sweet citrus lift, and a healthy dash of hot sauce combine into a bright, sharp glaze that coats every component. The yellow squash adds summer vegetable freshness, and a handful of peanuts provides crunch against all the soft cooked textures.
Everything happens fast, about 15 minutes once the prep is done. Keep the wok screaming hot, keep moving, and serve the moment the pasta gets folded in.
Kitchen Tips
- Microwave the yam and potato ahead of time as the recipe directs so they go in already cooked. Stir-fry time is too short to cook raw potato cubes through.
- Pre-cube vegetables uniformly. Small differences in size matter when the cook time is counted in seconds per ingredient.
- Keep the wok over high heat the whole way. Low-temperature stir-fry equals steam, and steam equals mushy.
- Add the angel hair pasta at the end, just to warm through. Cooking pasta in the wok overtoasts the noodles.
- Taste before serving and adjust hot sauce to your liking. The name promises heat, but only you know how much is right.
Variations
- Swap chicken for cubed pork tenderloin or firm tofu for a different protein.
- Add red seedless grape halves or pineapple chunks in the last minute for fruit-forward sweetness.
- Use rice noodles or steamed rice instead of angel hair for a more traditional stir-fry presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook potatoes in the microwave until just done.
Let cool before cutting into ½ to ¾ inch cubes to yield about 1 cup combined potatoes per serving.
Cook shortened pasta until al dente in plenty of boiling water seasoned with a garlic clove.
Drain, rinse, set aside.
Cut the skinless boneless chicken breast meat into diagonal strips, then cut strips into bite sized pieces.
Toss the chicken with the oils to coat.
Heat a wok to high; add the chicken to sear.
When the majority of the pink has disappeared from the meat, sprinkle on nuts, if using, add the sweet onion and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the red bell pepper, cilantro and green onion and cook about 2 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch with the broth.
Make a well in the wok and pour in the sauce, and cook to thicken about 2 minutes, then add the hot sauce and orange juice.
Arrange the squash and cooked potatoes on top.
Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook to heat through.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more Hot Sauce, black pepper.
Add the spaghetti and toss to warm and distribute.
Serve at once.
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