Golden turkey meatballs sit on top of creamy + spicy peanut butter noodles. Who can resist a bowl of noodles!
It is easiest to make the turkey meatballs first and prepare the remainder while they cook. Turn OFF the oven, cover and keep them warm in the oven until you're ready with the rest.
Place the ground turkey in a small bowl.
Add the bread and all of the dry spices, salt, sugar, cilantro, fish sauce, and zest to the bowl of a Cuisinart or mixer. Blend everything together, then add 1/4 of the ground turkey. Blend again until incorporated.
Start shaping the meatballs: Grab a baking sheet to place them on and some water to dab on your palms to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands!
Once you have nice evenly formed balls ready to cook, heat the oven to 350F and add a couple tablespoons of sesame oil to an oven proof pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
Once browned, place the pan in the heated oven and finish cooking the meatballs - about another 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm until ready to eat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Boil noodles according to package instructions - 3 to 4 minutes. RESERVE 1/2 cup of pasta water to loosen peanut sauce.
For the sauce:
*A reader has suggested to double the sauce recipe.
In a sauté pan over low or medium-low heat, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, Sriracha, lime juice and fish sauce. Cook for about 30 seconds.
Add peanut butter, whisk to combine, then turn off heat. The mixture will develop into a paste.
Add reserved pasta water, whisking as you go, a couple tablespoons at a time until the sauce loosens and you reach a desired consistency. If you find the sauce too spicy for your liking, you can dilute the sauce with more pasta water or mix the sauce with extra noodles.
Add cooked noodles and mix to combine.
Top with turkey meatballs, sesame seeds and additional cilantro.
Serve with a side of greens or veggies of choice. Add extra sriracha and a squeeze of lime juice to finish.
inspired by Cravingsinamsterdam.com + Food52.com