Whether it’s a Monday dinner for the family or a Friday date night, no one can dispute the appeal of a rich, comforting, and oh-so-good pasta like this Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Pasta. And yes, the Japanese love pasta just like anyone else. We love noodles and carbs, and we enjoy experimenting with global dishes, giving them a new dimension with our very own Japanese twist.
Concept of this Creamy Mushroom Pasta
In Japanese cuisine, there’s a concept called Japanese-style pasta, or what we refer to as Wafu Pasta (和風パスタ). These are essentially Italian pasta dishes that incorporate a few Japanese condiments and sometimes Japanese ingredients. In this Creamy Mushroom Pasta, for example, I added shiitake and shimeji mushrooms to give new life to this Western-style noodle dish. I also added a splash of soy sauce to the cream. You don’t need a lot of soy sauce—just the right amount to lend nice umami, depth, and savoriness. Other condiments like miso, sake, and tonkatsu sauce are also commonly used in Western dishes (pasta, soup, main dishes, etc.). You don’t have to reserve Japanese condiments for Japanese food. Have fun experimenting! Here are some wafu pasta recipes on the blog:
Easy Wafu Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus Classic Mentaiko Pasta Ume Shiso Pasta Napolitan (Ketchup Spaghetti)
Variations for the Pasta
This recipe calls for 4 main ingredients: pasta, bacon, mushroom, and garlic, which are staples in the kitchen. But feel free to replace them with pretty much any other ingredients from your fridge. Here are some of my suggestions that would go with this creamy sauce. Protein
Chicken Ham Sausage Shrimp Salmon
Vegetables & Mushrooms
Spinach Arugula Kale Asparagus Portobello mushrooms Oyster mushrooms Chanterelle mushrooms Enoki mushrooms
Do you have any other good ideas? Please share in the comments below!
5 Tips to Remember When Cooking Pasta
The following tips will apply to the majority of pasta recipes you’ll be cooking.
Love of Italian Food in Japan
If you have never been to Japan, it might be hard to imagine that the Japanese cook and eat Western food quite often. In fact, Italian restaurants are everywhere in Japan—yes, everywhere. At home, we cook all kinds of pasta, some with a Japanese twist (we call this type “Wafu Pasta” 和風パスタ). Several years ago I read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the growing Japanese influence on San Francisco food (it’s an interesting read if you have time). In the article, editor Michael Bauer mentioned that chef David Kinch at Manresa said, “the best French and Italian restaurants in the world outside of France and Italy are in Japan. It is that amazing.” My neighborhood Italian restaurants in Yokohama serve superb Italian food compared to the local Italian restaurants in my neighborhood here in the US. When you’re in Japan and get tired of eating Japanese food, try an Italian restaurant—you might be pleasantly surprised! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 9, 2011. It was updated with new images in February 2019.
