Mom’s Stir-fried Spaghetti

Wonder how to make spaghetti exotic? Here is a tasty stir-fried spaghetti recipe that’s touched by an Asian hand. It’s made with simple ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen.

It’s never too late to study a new language.
It’s never too late to learn how to play an instrument.
It’s never too late to start a blog.
It’s never too late to get your feet wet in a new industry.
It’s never too late to do something you actually love.
…

Does any of these sound familiar to you? Are you afraid of starting something new – a new skill, a new career, or even a new lifestyle, but you feel that you are too old for it? It means getting out of the comfort zone you have built up over years and facing new challenges and difficulties in order to reach to something else – your dream!

It’s hard. It’s certainly scary because we are afraid of failure. I believe that we all have been there. But if you don’t give up easily and you keep one thing in your mind when you are at the start point, sometimes success comes before you know it.

That one thing is PERSISTENCE.

I had been taught about the importance of persistence and dedication long before I understood the meaning of them. As one of the biggest influencers of my life, my mom doesn’t teach me stuff like that as if I am still a little girl anymore. Instead, she demonstrates why it’s never too late to chase after your dream and how it’s done with persistence through her action. This time, her intangible voice is extraordinarily strong.

In case you missed my initial reason of starting this blog, it’s actually because of my mom’s influence. As I am writing to you, she is moving from Shanghai to North China for a chef position created exclusively for her. In other words, the brand-new restaurant is opening because of the unique Asian fusion cuisine that she created.

Her dream is coming true at the age of 60 after going through The Culture Revolution, an early divorce, and working at 3 jobs at the same time in order to raise her only child by herself. Life didn’t give my mom many chances to extend her passion of cooking.

However, this tough lady didn’t give up. She keeps obtaining knowledge of various cuisines and improving her cooking skills day by day. Now she is able to come up with an entire menu for a restaurant within hours. The fact that her work will be presented to more people and her recipes will be passed along in a different region makes her really happy. Despite the negative feedback from families and friends, she’s determined to go for it. It’s her persistence and her faith that led her to reach her dream. She wouldn’t let it pass.

(Mom, Congratulations! I am so proud of you and you are my role model! I wish you good health and big success at your new job!)

Here is an exotic spaghetti recipe created by my mom. I hope you enjoy it and remember, it’s never too late to do anything if you really want it! Have faith. Don’t give up. Be persistent. You are going to succeed! Cheers!

Mom’s Stir-fried Spaghetti

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• Author: Sharon Chen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Chinese American

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Description

Wonder how to make spaghetti exotic? Here is a tasty stir-fried spaghetti recipe that’s touched by an Asian hand. It’s made with simple ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 2 cups whole mushroom, sliced
• 1 cup green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup smoked ham, shredded (omit ham if you are vegetarian)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup carrot, sliced
• Ground black pepper
• Cilantro for garnishing
  
  

  For the cooking sauce:

• 1/2 cup regular tomato based pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

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Instructions

1. Cook spaghetti according to the package instruction. Typically, place spaghetti in boiled water with a pinch of salt and cook for 11 minutes.
2. While cooking the spaghetti, slice all the vegetables and ham. Prepare cooking sauce by mixing the ingredients together in a bowl.
3. When the spaghetti is done, rinse in cold water and drain. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to prevent the noodles from sticking. Set aside.
4. Now heat up the remaining oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot. Sauté for 1 minute until onion is translucent.
5. Add other vegetables and stir for 2 minutes.
6. Place ham and cooked spaghetti in the same pan. Add cooking sauce and a pinch of ground black pepper. Mix everything evenly. (Stirring could be a little difficult at this point because of the spaghetti. An easy way is to move all the ingredients with a spatula in one hand and a fork or a pair of chopsticks in the other hand.)
7. Turn off the heat. Dish, garnish with cilantro and serve.

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About the Author

Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.