121213 Himitsu no Arashi-chan (RECIPE) - Kimura Kaela's Pasta Dish!

[nijininare]

Tested Kimura Kaela's pasta recipe from the 2012.12.13 episode of Himitsu no Arashi-chan. I have to say it's a pretty simple and tasty dish!



Since the show didn't feature it step by step, I decided to add details to the pasta. Try it and enjoy! :)

[Important Notes on Ingredients!]Note #1 - MENTSUYU: The only ingredient that may be a little difficult to get is the MENTSUYU or the noodle dipping sauce that's basically a concentrated mixture of dashi (katsuo & konbu), soy sauce and sake. You can make this on your own or just buy the bottled kind in supermarkets (It's a livesaver, I make my oden, tempura dipping sauce, agedashi tofu by diluting this with different ratios of water. Such a timesaver!) Also, I used Thai Napa cabbage instead of the cabbage Kimura-san used but I promise you it's pretty much the same.

Note #2 - Choosing Mushrooms: Shimeji mushrooms have a softer texture compared to shiitake but a similar woodsy taste. I think that woodsy flavor is what adds the umami to this dish. If you'll use fresh button mushrooms which are slightly milder in flavor, I suggest browning a bit and then adding a bit more mentsuyu for taste.
BUT PLEASE PLEASE make sure you choose fresh or well-dried mushrooms. Moisture inside the pack is not a good sign! Mushrooms have to be kept well whether fresh or dried if in doubt, DO NOT EAT IT.

EDIT! Here's a more detailed explanation according to coolohoh
"Moisture is bad for mushrooms, they spoil easily when moist... so you have to make sure they didn't go bad. (Maybe repackage them once you get home - newspapers are good for soaking up moisture, or cook them ASAP.) If you're not sure whether the mushrooms are still good, or can't tell how bad mushrooms look like, best to just avoid packets with moisture in it."

Ingredients:

• Pasta (Kimura Kaela used spaghetti but I only had the farfalle so that's what I used)
• 3 shiitake Mushroom or half a pack of shimeji mushrooms (I used shiitake since the one in the grocery were moist--which I avoid. Mushrooms have to be kept well whether fresh or dried if it's moist or fluffy DO NOT EAT IT.)
• Cabbage (I used two large napa cabbage leaves, washed. Sliced in the middle and then chopped into 2cm pieces.)
• 1 large clove of Garlic (I sliced some for the visuals but I chopped most of it for FLAVOR <3)
• Olive Oil or whatever oil you'd like
• Butter (I used around a slice that's 1cm thick. You can add more but I'm sensitive to lactose so... Haha)
• Mentsuyu (I used a dash. If you want exact measurements I suggest between 3-5 tablespoons depending on how concentrated your mentsuyu is.)

How to Make:

1. Boil pasta in well salted water. (Since my farfalle said boil for 6-8 minutes I went for 7.)
2. Sautee the garlic in olive oil on low-medium heat. When it starts to change color, add the mushrooms, sautee til it softens a little
3. Add butter and then add the leaves.
4. Add the pasta and don't worry if you add a bit of the pasta water (I always do this step when I make pasta. It tastes more together in my opinion when you add a bit of pasta water.) Mix.
5. Add mentsuyu and then taste the sauce. At this the taste should be strong enough for you to taste the mix of the mentsuyu and butter. Make sure that when you're mixing you don't crush the pasta.
6. Add a little more butter and pepper. The mixture should have a bit of sauce from the combinations of seasonings and pasta water. Let it bubble a bit so that the flavors sink in.
7. Serve <3

Note: I don't think they used parmesan or any cheese during this episode. But if you want go ahead. I made this last night and it was a very satisfying pasta dish.

I do wonder if this will taste good with chicken strips with it. I'd like it even more with some protein...hmm..


LASTLY!
Don't waste the shiitake mushroom stalks! They're delicious! Slice and then,  soak them in hot water prior to cooking. Don't waste such a tasty part of the mushroom!