The 15-Minute Lunch I Make When I’m Too Tired to Cook

One day while poking around in my kitchen, I gave myself the challenge of making a no-cook peanut sauce with as few ingredients as possible. Using just three pantry items (plus a splash of hot water), I whisked up a nutty, savory, gently spicy sauce, perfect for tossing with just about any noodle. Thus, my 4-ingredient wonder of a lunch was born.

It’s so simple to throw this dish together. Just boil a pot of noodles, whisk up the sauce, then toss everything together in a big bowl. If you like, you can add some chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and/or toasted sesame seeds on top.

The Four Key Ingredients for My Peanut Butter Noodles

• Noodles: Any long noodles you have on hand will work well. I like to use thick, substantial spaghetti. The square or triangular-shaped ones are my favorites, especially when they’re a bit rough in texture from being extruded through bronze dies. Pad thai noodles, soba noodles, or ramen are great, too. 
• Peanut butter: Creamy, no-stir peanut butter is the base for the sauce. The peanut butter from Trader Joe’s is always in my pantry—it’s similar to Skippy or Jif in smoothness and sweetness. I prefer this type over a natural peanut butter here. If you use an unsweetened and/or unsalted variety, you may have to adjust the seasoning of your sauce. 
• Sweet chili sauce: Sweet chili sauce lends sweetness and just a little bit of heat. Go for a Thai-style sauce, with little bits of red pepper suspended in a translucent, thick liquid. Mae Ploy, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger all have similar versions—use whichever one you like best. 
• Soy sauce: The last pantry ingredient is soy sauce. It adds a big hit of savory, salty flavor. I use the regular, full-sodium kind, but feel free to sub low-sodium if you prefer. 

Plus: Boiling Water

To make the sauce pourable and easy to mix in with your noodles, you’ll want to thin it out with some water. It’s easiest to incorporate the water if it’s boiling hot—this helps to melt and soften the peanut butter, making everything come together more quickly. Don’t fret if the sauce looks like it won’t thicken or combine evenly at first—after about a minute of whisking it will be silky-smooth. 

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Noodles

To make four to six servings, you’ll need:

• Salt, for the pasta water
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or any other long noodles
• Generous 1/3 cup no-stir creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• Optional toppings: sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and/or toasted sesame seeds

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti or other noodles to al dente according to their package instructions. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cool water until they’re no longer hot.

While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, chili sauce, soy sauce, and boiling water (from the pasta pot). Continue to whisk until the ingredients combine into a smooth sauce, about 1 minute. The sauce should be thick but still pourable. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if you like, adding more soy sauce if you want it saltier, or more chili sauce for more sweetness.

Add the drained and cooled noodles to the bowl with the sauce. Use tongs to toss the noodles in the sauce until they’re evenly coated. Transfer the peanut butter noodles to serving dishes. Top with sliced green onions, cilantro, and/or sesame seeds, if you like, and serve right away.

The peanut butter noodles will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will absorb the sauce as they sit—you can enjoy them as is or toss them with a tablespoon or two of boiling water to bring back some of their saucy texture.