Soy Sauce Pasta (간장 파스타)

 
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One of many reasons I cook is not only to express my feelings, but also to showcase my unique flavors. I often try to add my cultural background and my whimsical side to my food by combining unusual flavors or ingredients to come up with something delicious. That's what makes cooking so much fun and exciting for me! 

One day I was looking for something to cook, and all I could find in my pantry was a package of spaghetti, some leftover vegetables, and soy sauce. So, on a whim, I made a pasta dish using what I had, and I absolutely loved it! I loved the idea of using such a traditional Italian ingredient to create something that's not so traditional.

Soy sauce pasta is my go-to pasta dish whenever I'm craving something salty and sweet. It tastes similar to lo mein noodles, which makes it a perfect dish for casual hangout with your friends and a quick weeknight dinner.

Let me know how you #cookyourfeelings with this recipe!

Prep Time: 10 minutes  l  Cook Time: 15 minutes  l  Total Time: 25 minutes  l  Serving: 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large onion

  • 3-4 white mushrooms (You can add as many or as little vegetables as you want. Snap peas or even bean sprouts would be awesome in this recipe. The reason why we are adding some vegetables is to add some texture to the dish, so be creative!)

  • 1 or 2 round steaks (If you want to make this into a vegetarian dish, feel free to substitute meat with either firm tofu or meaty mushrooms, like portobello.)

  • 1/2 tsp of garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp of salt

  • 1/2 tsp of pepper

  • 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1/2 lb of spaghetti

  • Chopped scallions for garnish

SAUCE

  • 8 tsp of soy sauce

  • 4 tsp of Tsuyu sauce (It's a Japanese soy sauce used for dipping buckwheat noodles. It is a bit sweeter than typical soy sauce, and you can find it here)

  • 4 tsp of honey

  • 1 tsp of sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare onion and mushrooms by slicing them vertically. Set them aside.

  2. Season the meat with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Slice the meat vertically, just like the vegetables.

  3. Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl and set it aside./In a pot, boil some water with a generous amount of salt and cook spaghetti as instructed.

  4. While spaghetti is being cooked, heat up a medium skillet with some oil and sautee sliced vegetables first.

  5. Pour 1/3 of the sauce into the skillet with the vegetables and sautee until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked. It should take about 4-5 minutes. Add seasoned and sliced meat to the existing skillet with vegetables.

  6. Pour another 1/3 of the sauce with the meat into the skillet and sautee until the meat is cooked. It should take about 1-2 minutes. Transport cooked pasta into the skillet with the vegetables and meat and toss everything together with some red pepper flakes. Taste the pasta, and if it needs more salt, feel free to adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper. Garnish the dish with some chopped scallions.

Did you like using soy sauce to cook pasta? Did you use other vegetables other than onion and mushrooms? Let me know!

NOW GO EAT YOUR FEELINGS!

 
James Park1 Comment