Wafu Pasta 1: Shiso Ume Garlic Spaghetti with a kick (Vegan friendly :) )

I'm a big fan of Italian food! One of these days I will eat my way through Italy. In general, Japanese people love Italian food and you'll often find Wafu (Japanese style) pasta dishes at Italian restaurants.

This wafu pasta isn't a classic wafu pasta but it uses very Japanese ingredients such as shiso and umeboshi that make it wafu.

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon of kombu cha (powdered kombu flavor)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of minced umeboshi
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
7 shiso leaves
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of pasta water
sprinkling of sliced chili peppers
350 grams of spaghetti noodles (a little bit less than a 1 lbs bag)

1) Boil your water and add salt.
2) Boil your pasta about 1 minute less than the directions on the package. You don't want it to be hard but a little extra aldente.
3) Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the pasta.
4) Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil, chili peppers and garlic.
5) Add the pasta and stir fry, making sure that the garlic doesn't burn.
6) Add the pasta water, umeboshi, salt and kombu cha.
7) Plate and top generously with shiso.

Stack the shiso leaves.


Roll up your shiso like a...uhhh anyway roll 'em up and hold it down with your fingers.


Slice them into thin strips.


Peel off the bainiku and mince it until it looks like this.


Drain your pasta and massage with with cold water.


When the pasta is almost done, start heating up a pan. When the pasta is drained, add the olive oil and chili's to the pan.


Add the garlic, give it a quick stir and add the pasta.


Add the bainiku (umeboshi), salt, kombu powder and pasta water and mix well.


Top with shiso and mix it in as you eat.