Thai Chicken Pasta

This pasta dish is one of my new favorite things to eat. Now, I know it's not technically scratch made and it's rather unusual and bygosh it's not even southern but y'all can just get over it because it's good and costs about $10 to make. So there. Everyone in my house loves this pasta except my rotten little boy. Even my friend Jeanette liked it and she is moderately fancy. She lives downtown, wears scarves even when it isn't cold, and eats goat cheese on a regular basis (common folk like me need not worry, there is no goat cheese in this dish). If you take my shortcut of using frozen mixed vegetables, this takes no time at all. The only problem I ever have, is that the only place I can find the spice mix is at Publix and the mixed vegetables I like come from Walmart. Other than that, this is super easy. I have never met anyone from Thailand but if I did, I would cook them cornbread and lima beans, not Thai chicken pasta for fear of it's lack of authenticity. For the Southern United States, it's just authentic enough. Here is what you'll need to make the Thai chicken pasta:2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I once made this with some porkchops that were about 30 seconds from a trip to the trashcan and I'm sure you could do it with shrimp too) $2.66
1 pack of A Taste of Thai Peanut Sauce Mix $3.69
1 can of Coconut Milk--I use "lite" it has less fat than regular coconut milk, don't fret if you don't like coconut, I haven't been brave enough to taste this stuff by itself yet but I have smelled it and it doesn't smell anything like coconut, it smells like feet. $1.75
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (unless you want to chop up fresh ones, just a hint: this bag of great value deluxe stir fry mix is cheaper than one single bell pepper). $1.43
1 can of corn (I suppose this is optional, I just have a vision of Thai people enjoying corn) $0.56
1 lb box of spaghetti noodles (also not very authentic......) $0.70 (on sale)

First things first, get some water boiling for the pasta and heat a teensy bit of olive oil in a big ol' skillet. Trim any fat from the chicken and cut it up, I like it kind of small. It's a sight to see me trying to take a picture without getting chicken goo on my camera! That leaves me doing everything one handed. I need an assistant.




Throw the chicken in the already hot skillet and stir it around. Cross yourself and whisper a "Thank you" to your Mama, Grandma, and Aunts for your kitchen full of Calphalon. Don't let your husband catch you talking to yourself again.



Toss your pasta into the water that you surely remembered to put on a little bit ago. Disregard my ugly toaster, I used to have a nice one but I mistakenly threw it out when I thought it didn't work anymore. The breaker was tripped. I am an honor student.



This is about the time you put some chicken nuggets in the oven for your little toad who just doesn't like the pasta. He eats almost everything else in the world but he can't get a taste for my wonderful pasta. More for me.



Ok! Back to the good stuff! Once you have sauteed the chicken enough so that it isn't raw anymore, put the frozen mixed vegetables in there and stir them around for a few minutes, just long enough to thaw them, they're not raw.



Add your corn. Use whatever vegetables you like, corn just seems suitable to me. Once again, it just needs to be heated since it is already cooked. Reserve some for your little toad who isn't partaking in your pasta.




Now it's time to add the coconut milk. This stuff does NOT smell tropical. You can find coconut milk in the same aisle as taco sauce and bamboo shoots. In Alabama, international food is usually synonymous with "burrito" or "egg roll." We're working on it.



Next, mix in both inner envelopes of the peanut sauce mix. Stir everything around, letting it bubble for about 5 minutes or so.



Here is what you will look for. It can also be found in the 6 linear feet of the international foods aisle of Publix. I have never seen this at Walmart. If you really want this and can't find it anywhere, let me know, I'll try to help.

At this point you should have been keeping an eye on your pasta and drained it when it was done. Whoops, I forgot to remind you. You have boiled pasta before right? RIGHT? Good, I thought so.


Add the pasta into the sauce (I hope you used a big skillet) reserving a portion for the six year old who doesn't believe in combining peanuts and pasta. Mix it together well. Curse your girly forearms.


Serve! Pass out from the sheer deliciousness. Wake up because you remember you have to feed your kid.



Serve his dinner on a monkey plate because you feel bad for being grouchy all day because you had to get a steroid shot in the butt cheek since your body chose to defy you and lapse into anaphylaxis, leaving you a leper.

You really should make this pasta, it's really good. I wouldn't spend an hour making this blog to share the love if I didn't mean it.