Friday, July 11, 2014

Semi-Homemade: Mentaiko Pasta

Hello lovelies,

Yesterday, I decided to reward myself with a (semi) homemade dish after doing a lot of studying. I had a packet of mentaiko pasta sauce in my pantry, so I decided to make mentaiko pasta! So, what is mentaiko and how do you make a pasta dish using it? Mentaiko is the marinated roe (eggs) of pollock and cod, and it is used commonly in Japanese cooking! It does taste fishy, but I totally recommend it! I love mentaiko, and I love how the Japanese incorporate it into their dishes!

Mentaiko pasta is a Japanese-Italian Fusion dish! I LOVE FUSION DISHES because they give me a chance to eat two cuisines at once; they also are super interesting in flavor and appearance. This dish combines the japanese flavor of mentaiko with an italian base, the linguine! I love how the two work beautifully together. The flavors combined make a hearty dish! Below is my easy recipe for mentaiko pasta! Also, at the end of this entry, I have provided links for some of the harder-to-find ingredients in the recipe!

Mentaiko Pasta (semi-homemade)
Serves 1

1 packet of S&B Mentaiko Sauce
1 medium green onion (green AND white parts)
1/4 cup imitation crab
1 1/2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (I used Kewpie)
2 oz of spaghetti-type pasta (I used Farro Linguine)
nori strips for garnish (comes with S&B sauce)

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, chop the imitation crab into small pieces and slice the green onion.
3. While the pasta is still cooking, warm the imitation crab and green onions over medium low heat in a small skillet. Take care that they don't get too brown. I suggest doing this in the last minute of your pasta cooking time.
4. When the pasta is done, drain and put in the skillet with the imitation crab and green onions. Add the sauce packet and Japanese mayo to the pan. Stir gently to combine.
5. When combined and the sauce is warm, transfer to your serving dish and top with the nori strips. Enjoy!



I apologize that the photo isn't more close-up! If you want to try this dish, you can buy the sauce here or find it in your asian grocery store. Since I live in Hawaii, I can easily find this sauce, but I can understand that it is difficult to find it elsewhere! Also, if you want to try Japanese mayo, you can find it here. You can use regular mayo if you want to as well; I just find that the Japanese mayo tastes better!

Good luck in the kitchen, and hope you try this out!

Aloha,
Cassie

"I honor the place within you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place within you, which is of Love, of Truth, of Light and of Peace. When you are in that place within you and I am in that place within me, WE ARE ONE"

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