This mouthwatering recipe is one I cook at home almost every week. Combining the best of two worlds - savory Italian pasta infused with umami-rich mushrooms - my Japanese Mushroom Spaghetti is simply one of my favorite things to make and eat!
We'll be using a few different types of mushrooms to create a delicious marinade for our spaghetti. Then we'll fry them together before finishing it all off with a beautiful blend of Japanese toppings for flavor, color and a slight crunch! Not only is this a sensational quick, go-to meal when you're pressed for time, but this mushroom spaghetti is also an easy crowd-pleaser if you're cooking for a group or hosting over the holidays. The added bonus is that it can all be prepared in under 30 minutes. So let's get into it.
Jump to:
Ingredients
We'll be using three different types of fresh mushrooms to create our marinade. Use any combination you like, it doesn't matter. What we're after is a nice contrast in textures and you'll get that with any mixture of two, three or more types of mushroom. The main thing is to make sure your mushrooms are fresh and firm, so choose the ones that look, smell and feel best at your local supermarket or grocer.
Serves 4-5 | Prep time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes
- 500g spaghetti
- 300g fresh chestnut mushrooms
- 250g fresh flat field mushrooms
- 80g fresh shiitake mushrooms
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
- Half cup of hot water
- 5-6 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon of soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- Aonori
- Shichimi
- Optional natto topping
Instructions
Step 1: Make your broth by adding hot water to your dried shiitake in a bowl and leave to stand.
Step 2: Now chop your mushrooms into half-inch strips (just over 1 cm), then set to one side.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, crush your garlic and add the rest of your marinade ingredients. Mix with a whisk to combine.
Step 4: Add all the mushrooms to your bowl and mix them into the marinade. Make sure they’re evenly coated. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Step 5: Cook your spaghetti according to the packet instructions in salted water.
Step 6: Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and add all of your marinated mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 7: Squeeze the hydrated shitakes mushrooms over the broth. Then slice them thinly before adding them back to the broth.
Step 8: Pour the broth and rehydrated shitake slices over the mushrooms in the pan. Simmer for a few more minutes.
Step 9: Now add your cooked spaghetti and stir through.
Step 10: Plate up and garnish! Use aonori or crushed up nori pieces, and some shichimi (Japanese seven spice) if you like it spicy.
Serve your Japanese mushroom spaghetti as a main course with a glass of your favorite drink. We often have it with a glass of Japanese beer.
Extra toppings
Less is more when it comes to this spaghetti dish in my opinion. That said, there are a few extra topping ideas that work really well, either instead of shichimi and ou nori, or in addition to them.
- Black pepper - a little or a lot, add according to your personal taste
- Homemade vegan parmesan - made from crushed cashew nuts and yeast flakes, this topping adds an extra layer of saltiness and umami
- Natto - an acquired taste, but truly sensational with mushroom spaghetti
- Nori seaweed - instead of ou nori (which can be hard to find) you can chop some nori sheets and sprinkle over the top
Is there a topping that you love to use on your Japanese mushroom spaghetti? Let me know your favorites and any that you think should appear on this list.
Storage
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. We tend to batch cook our mushroom spaghetti to get a few lunches or dinners out of it each time. It's great for those fast and filling mid-week lunches and dinners.
Quick tips for making Japanese Mushroom Spaghetti
- Remember to use fresh, firm mushrooms for better texture and flavor
- If you have a few extra minutes, let the broth sit longer to get more flavor from the dried shiitake
- Really squeeze those hydrated shiitakes out over the broth to capture all of that umami goodness!
FAQ
Yes! We do this all the time to mix things up. We'll often use penne, fusilli, rigatoni or, my partner's favorite, linguine, instead of spaghetti.
Simply put, 'wafu' means Japanese-style so, yes, this recipe certainly is a wafu-style mushroom spaghetti!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Japanese Mushroom Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 500 grams dried spaghetti
Mushrooms
- 300 grams fresh chestnut mushrooms
- 250 grams fresh flat field mushrooms
- 80 grams fresh shitake mushrooms
Broth
- 2 dried shitake mushrooms
- Half cup Boiling hot water
Marinade
- 5-6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
Toppings
- Aonori
- Shichimi (spicy) to taste
- Natto (optional)
Instructions
- Make your broth by adding hot water to your dried shiitake in a bowl and leave to stand.
- Chop your mushrooms into half-inch strips (just over 1 cm) and set to one side.
- In a large mixing bowl, crush your garlic and add the rest of your marinade ingredients. Mix with a whisk to combine.
- Add all the mushrooms to your bowl and mix them into the marinade. Make sure they’re evenly coated. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Cook your spaghetti according to the packet instructions in salted water.
- Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and add all of your marinated mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice the hydrated shitake mushrooms and add back to the broth.
- Pour this over the mushrooms in the pan, and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Now add your cooked spaghetti and stir through.
- Plate up and garnish! Use aonori or crushed up nori pieces, and some shichimi (Japanese seven spice) if you like it spicy.
Leave a Reply