Kung Pao Chicken Spaghetti
CPK
(Printable Recipe)
KUNG PAO SAUCE
½ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup soy sauce
½ cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons red chili paste with garlic
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
EGG WHITE-CORNSTARCH MIXTURE
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
PASTA
1 lb spaghetti
½ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in ¾ ” cubes
10 -15 whole chinese dried red chili peppers (don’t eat these, they are for color and heat) (I couldn’t find these and the dish was plenty hot without them)
1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
¼ cup minced garlic
3 cups coarsely-chopped scallions, greens and whites (I forgot to buy these and used 2 tsp onion powder)
To Make the Kung Pao Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the chicken stock and cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Stir in all the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
To Make Egg White-Cornstarch Mixture:
In a mixing bowl, use a whisk to stir together the egg whites, cornstarch, and salt until thoroughly blended; be careful not to beat them into a froth. Set aside.
To Prepare the Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat, heat the olive oil for about 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces to the Egg White-Cornstarch Mixture and toss to coat them. Taking care to avoid splattering, add the coated chicken to the pan and cook like a solid pancake until the egg mixture sets; then, using a large spatula, carefully flip the chicken pieces over together and, with a wooden spoon, gently separate the pieces.
Gently stir the Chinese peppers and roasted peanuts into the pan. As soon as they darken in color, after no more than 1 minute, stir in the garlic and scallions. Once the garlic begins to brown, after no more than 30 seconds, add the Kung Pao Sauce and toss and stir to coat the ingredients.
When the pasta is ready, drain it well and, in a large mixing or serving bowl, toss it thoroughly with the sauce and chicken. Serve family-style or transfer to individual serving bowls.
Sounds really good.. But WHERE does one find red chili paste??? (what section of the supermarket?)
The Ethnic section where the Mexican,Asian foods are.
Been meaning to thank you for sharing this! My daughter special request it when she comes home from college and even then several times during the course of the visit. Even the 10 yr old loves it.
Can u make it without chicken. Does it change the recipe?
You can leave out the chicken. Just omit that part of the recipe. It should be fine.
Is the amount of chicken stock (1/2 c) really correct? I ask because I have seen this same recipe posted multiple places and they all say 1/2c, but someone in the comments on one recipe said that the book says 1.5c chicken stock. You said you have the book, can you confirm the amount?
Kristi – it is 1/2 cup of chicken stock/broth. This is AMAZING! Hope you enjoy it!