A super tasty and rather inexpensive meal!
Ingredients:
8 oz + undon or linguine pasta (however hungry you are)
1/2 cup tomato paste/puree
4 TBSP rice wine vinegar
4 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 + tsp cayenne pepper
3-4 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional but I suggest using it)
Olive or canola oil
1 lb ground pork (or turkey)
4 oz mushrooms of choice (i used Shiitake) - stems discarded and caps sliced
2 medium carrots - washed and cut into matchsticks
4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger - peeled and finely chopped
*1 medium zucchini - cut into matchsticks
1/2 small Napa cabbage - sliced into 1 inch strips
Start water boiling for noodles. In a small bowl whisk together tomato puree, brown sugar, vinegar, cayenne and sesame oil. Set aside. Heat a skillet with about 1 TBSP oil; as soon as you add the noodles to the water add your pork to the hot pan. Break up with a spoon and cook until browned; transfer to a bowl.
Wipe out the skillet and heat another 1-2 TBSP oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, tossing, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic and ginger, cook and continue stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the zucchini and cabbage (and 1 TBSP water if the pan looks a little dry), cover and toss until the cabbage just begins to wilt but is still crisp, about 2 minutes. Return pork to the skillet and toss to combine.
Drain noodles and return to the pot. Combine with sauce and pork-veggie mixture. Top with toasted sesame seeds.
*I used half the sauce and left the rest to add as desired.
