A blue plate of spaghetti topped with slices of bacon, sautéed eggplant, and onions, garnished with chopped herbs, sits on a dark wooden table next to a fork, spoon, napkin, and a side salad.

As a family of noodle lovers, we crave all kinds of Japanese-style wafu pasta (和風パスタ)—a tasty fusion of Italian spaghetti with savory Japanese seasonings and ingredients. I love making this delicious Bacon and Eggplant Soy Sauce Butter Pasta because it’s quick, easy, affordable, and incredibly satisfying. Make it for your family in just 25 minutes!

If you love Japanese-style pasta, try my Classic Mentaiko Pasta, Napolitan, and Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage recipes next!

A plate of spaghetti topped with sautéed eggplant, onions, bacon, and chopped herbs, served with a fork and spoon. A side salad, a small dish of red pepper flakes, and a glass of drink are nearby on a rustic wooden table.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Why I Love This Recipe

  • An umami flavor bomb – Smoky bacon, savory soy sauce, and flavorful shiitake mushrooms boost the umami in every bite!
  • Comforting and quick – A hearty dinner of spaghetti after a busy day really hits the spot. I’ll show you how to get it on the table in 25 minutes.
  • Budget friendly – Pasta is satisfying and filling yet affordable, so it’s a great choice for adults and children alike.
A plate of spaghetti topped with bacon, eggplant, onions, and chopped herbs, served with a fork and spoon on the side. A glass of beer is in the background on a wooden table.
A close-up of a plate of spaghetti with slices of eggplant, bacon, and onion, garnished with chopped herbs. Two hands are twirling the pasta with a fork and spoon.

Ingredients for Bacon & Eggplant Soy Sauce Butter Pasta

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe
A blue plate of spaghetti topped with bacon, eggplant, onions, and chopped herbs sits on a wooden table, surrounded by salad, cutlery, a pepper grinder, and a small dish of chopped chives.

How to Make Bacon & Eggplant Soy Sauce Butter Pasta

Preparation

  1. Cut bacon crosswise into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
  1. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice diagonally into ⅓-inch (9-mm) slices.
A hand slicing several strips of raw bacon into smaller pieces on a wooden cutting board with a sharp knife.
A hand slices an eggplant into thin wedges on a wooden cutting board using a sharp knife.

Cooking

  1. Fry bacon and onion. Sauté bacon in a frying pan with olive oil or other cooking oil over medium heat, then add onions and stir. Toss in garlic and chili pepper (to taste) and cook until fragrant.
  1. Sauté and steam eggplant. Stir in the eggplant and season with salt and black pepper. Add shiitake mushrooms, then cover and steam for 3 minutes over the lowest heat.
A hand holds a small bowl of minced garlic and sliced red chili over a skillet with sautéing bacon and onion slices, with a wooden spatula stirring the ingredients on a stovetop.
A skillet on a stove contains sliced onions, eggplant, bacon, and mushrooms being sautéed together. The ingredients are lightly browned and mixed, with a wooden cutting board visible nearby.

Assemble

  1. Toss with spaghetti. Cook the pasta al dente and transfer it to the pan. Add butter and soy sauce, then toss quickly to combine.
  2. Serve on individual plates, garnish with minced chives, and enjoy.
A person adds a small bowl of dark sauce to a skillet of cooked spaghetti with sliced onions, eggplant, bacon, and two pats of butter using wooden tongs on a stovetop.
A hand stirs spaghetti, bacon, onion slices, and eggplant in a large skillet on a stove, using wooden utensils.
A close-up of a plate of pasta with slices of bacon, sautéed onions, eggplant, and herbs. A hand uses utensils to twirl the pasta on a dark blue plate.

Nami’s Recipe Tips

  • Cook the spaghetti al dente – For the perfect toothsome bite, boil the pasta one minute less than package instructions, as the pasta will continue to cook slightly when you tossed it with the other ingredients.
  • Cut the eggplant just before cooking – This keeps it from turning brown.
  • Keep bigger chunks – I cut the eggplant into ⅓-inch (9-mm) slices. The larger pieces keep it from falling apart.
  • Steam the eggplant – The flesh can break if you stir it too much. To prevent this, I cover the pan and steam it.
  • Use very low heat to steam – Reduce the heat to the lowest setting when steaming to prevent burning. If your stove runs hot, you can turn off the heat while steaming.
  • Transfer cooking water with the pasta – No need to drain the pasta first. Just move it with tongs from the boiling pot to the pan. The cooking water that comes with it will help finish the sauce.

Variations and Customizations

  • Switch the protein. Ham, chicken, sausage, or shrimp would work beautifully.
  • Use mentsuyu. For an extra boost of umami, skip the soy sauce and use concentrated noodle soup base instead. It’s a great way to use up that bottle of mentsuyu in the fridge.
  • Try other mushrooms. Instead of shiitake, try mushroom varieties like shimeji, cremini (brown), enoki, oyster, chanterelle, or a medley of your favorites.
  • Garnish with shiso. Top with julienned perilla leaves (shiso) to add a signature Japanese flavor and refreshing touch.
  • Cook a different pasta shape. While I used spaghetti today, linguine and fettuccine work beautifully, too.
  • Make it vegetarian by swapping bacon for tomatoes. Toss in chunks of ripe tomatoes in place of bacon to add a bright and savory flavor to make it a vegetarian-friendly dish.
A blue plate of spaghetti topped with bacon, sautéed onions, and mushrooms, garnished with chopped herbs. A fork and spoon rest on the plate; a glass of beer and another dish are in the background on a wooden table.
A blue plate of spaghetti with sautéed onions, bacon, mushrooms, and herbs. A fork and spoon are twirling the pasta, and a glass of drink is partially visible in the background.

What to Serve with the Pasta

A white and blue plate containing frisee and radicchio lettuce, thinly sliced watermelon radish, and heirloom tomatoes, drizzled with Japanese onion dressing.
Avocado, Shrimp and Broccoli Salad served on a plate
Blue and white Japanese bowls containing Green bean Gomaae.
Mug cups containing kabocha soup served on a wooden tray.

Storage Tips

Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to soak the eggplant in water?

I don’t soak the eggplant or sprinkle it with salt beforehand because I cut it right before cooking. If you want to prep ahead, you can soak the cut eggplant in water to keep it from browning. Be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel before adding it to the hot oil to avoid splatter.

Can I sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top?

Yes! Parmesan adds a wonderful umami boost and pairs beautifully with the pasta.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

A blue plate of spaghetti topped with bacon, eggplant, onions, and chopped herbs sits on a wooden table, surrounded by salad, cutlery, a pepper grinder, and a small dish of chopped chives.
Save Pin Print
No ratings yet

Bacon and Eggplant Soy Sauce Butter Pasta

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Take pasta night to the next level with my savory and satisfying Bacon and Eggplant Soy Sauce Butter Pasta recipe. You'll love the combo of Italian spaghetti with Japanese seasonings and ingredients for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 dried red chili pepper
  • ½ onion (4 oz, 113 g)
  • 3 shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 small bunch chives (for garnish)
  • 4 slices applewood smoked bacon (5.3 oz, 150 g; swap bacon with tomatoes for vegetarian)
  • 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant (5 oz, 140 g)
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1½ Tbsp soy sauce (concentrated noodle soup base called mentsuyu is also a great choice! You can buy on Amazon)

For Boiling the Spaghetti

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients. Add 4 QT water to a large pot (I used a 4.5 QT Dutch oven) and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.
    A wooden surface displays uncooked spaghetti, bacon slices, an eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, chives, a sliced onion, butter, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, cooking oil in a measuring cup, garlic cloves, and a dried chili pepper.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Crush or mince 2 cloves garlic. Slice 1 dried red chili pepper into thin rounds. If you want it less spicy, remove some or all of the seeds.
    Three-panel image: First, garlic is pressed onto a small plate. Second, a hand slices red chili on a cutting board. Third, the chopped chili and seeds are placed next to the pressed garlic on the plate.
  • Cut ½ onion into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices. Remove the stems from 3 shiitake mushrooms and cut the caps into ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices.
    Three images show close-up hands slicing vegetables on a wooden cutting board: first, slicing an onion; second, slicing a mushroom; third, slicing another mushroom.
  • Mince the 1 small bunch chives and set aside for garnish.
    A hand finely chops chives on a wooden cutting board. Next to it, a small decorative plate holds a pile of the freshly chopped chives.
  • Cut 4 slices applewood smoked bacon into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. How about the eggplant? We'll cut it right before cooking to keep it from changing color.
    Two images side by side showing a hand slicing strips of raw bacon on a wooden cutting board with a knife. The left image shows initial cuts, while the right shows the bacon being diced into smaller pieces.

To Boil the Pasta

  • Add 1½ Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the boiling water. Then, add 8 oz spaghetti and cook until al dente (I cook it one minute less than the package instructions). You now have about 11 minutes to cook the other ingredients before adding the pasta.
    Three-panel image: pouring salt into a pot of water, adding uncooked spaghetti to the pot, and spaghetti boiling in the water.

To Cook the Ingredients

  • Heat a frying pan (I use a 12-inch stainless steel frying pan) on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the bacon. Sauté with a wooden spatula and let the bacon crisp on the edges a bit. Then, add the onion and stir.
    A sequence of three images: pouring olive oil into a skillet, cooking bacon pieces in the skillet, then adding sliced onions to the skillet with the bacon.
  • While sautéing the onion, cut 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut diagonally into ⅓-inch (9-mm) slices.
    Two-panel image showing hands slicing an eggplant on a wooden cutting board. In the first panel, the eggplant is being cut lengthwise; in the second, it is being sliced into wedges.
  • Stir in the garlic and chili pepper. Add the eggplant, then season with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat the eggplant with oil.
    A three-panel image shows bacon, onions, and eggplant cooking in a pan. Ingredients like minced garlic, chili flakes, and seasonings are being added by hand with a wooden spatula stirring the mixture.
  • Now, add the shiitake mushrooms and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and steam for 3 minutes. There's enough moisture in the vegetables to keep the food from burning on very low heat. If you're worried, you can turn off the stove.
    Nami's Tip: I steam rather than stir-fry the eggplant, as I like to keep it in bigger chunks and stirring can break the flesh.
    Three images show a skillet: first with sliced onions, eggplant, mushrooms, and bacon; second with a lid covering the cooking food; third with everything mixed and sautéed using a spatula.

To Toss the Pasta

  • By this time, the pasta should be about ready. Pick up the al dente pasta with tongs and transfer it to the frying pan. Then, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1½ Tbsp soy sauce. Quickly toss everything to combine well.
    Nami's Tip: It's okay to include some pasta water as you transfer the spaghetti, as it helps complete the sauce (and I don't pour additional pasta water in this recipe). If you prefer to drain it, then reserve some pasta water to add later for the sauce, as needed.
    Three images show pasta being cooked in a pan with sliced vegetables, bacon, and onions. Butter and sauce are added, and the ingredients are mixed together using wooden utensils.

To Serve

  • Serve the pasta to individual dishes and garnish with minced chives. Enjoy!
    Two images side by side: both show a blue plate of pasta with vegetables and bacon. In the first, chopsticks arrange the toppings; in the second, a hand sprinkles chopped green herbs from a small dish onto the pasta.

To Store

  • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @justonecookbook on Instagram so we can see your delicious creation!