Ume Shiso Pasta 梅しそパスタ

Have you tried Japanese-style (wafu) pasta before? Wafu pasta is very popular in Japan! However, these dishes are typically not offered in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. That’s why I’ve received many recipe requests from my readers who want to make a homemade version of this style of pasta.

Today, I’m going to share a popular wafu pasta recipe called Ume Shiso Pasta. This recipe features two iconic Japanese flavors that give a delicate and refreshing twist to Italian noodles, bringing out the best of both worlds.

What is Shiso?

Shiso (perilla or ooba) leaves are a popular aromatic herb used in many Japanese cooking recipes like salad, noodles, sushi, and tempura. It’s often used as a garnish or topping. You might have seen it when you ordered sashimi or sushi and the chef used shiso leaves as garnish.

I’ve used shiso in recipes like Salmon & Ikura Don and Chicken Nanban. I introduced quite a few recipes with shiso in my first two years of blogging, but I learned that this is not an easy ingredient to source for a lot of readers. As a result, I’ve tried to avoid it in my recipes, even though I love this Japanese herb!

Shiso has a unique and refreshing flavor. I hope you can find it in your local Japanese grocery stores, or grow this plant in your herb garden (they are easy to grow).

What is Ume?

Ume or umeboshi is Japanese pickled plums. Umeboshi are a popular kind of Japanese pickles (tsukemono) and they are extremely sour and salty.

We usually serve umeboshi with rice or in Rice Balls (Onigiri). If you can’t find umeboshi, you may substitute an ume paste called neri ume (Japanese umeboshi plum paste).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

To be honest, this is probably one of my favorite Japanese-style pasta recipes that my mom made when I was growing up!

• Refreshing Japanese flavors – Herbaceous shiso and tart umeboshi go so well together.
• Quick to make – It takes only 20 minutes from start to finish.
• Light – A perfect light meal with a comforting taste, especially on warm summer days.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The key to tasty Ume Shiso Pasta is to keep the ingredients minimal. Otherwise, too many flavors can overwhelm the dish and the delicate ume and shiso flavors get lost. For this simple pasta, I added chicken for protein and buna shimeji mushrooms, which work really well with ume and shiso.

• spaghetti
• shiso leaves – for garnish
• a couple cloves garlic
• shimeji mushrooms
• umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums)
• chicken tenders – also called chicken fingers or strips; a very tender cut that stays moist; can substitute chicken breasts or thighs if you cannot find it
• kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand
• freshly ground black pepper
• all-purpose flour
• extra-virgin olive oil
• soy sauce
• shredded nori seaweed (kizami nori) – for garnish

How to Make Ume Shiso Pasta

1. Cook the spaghetti in a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the noodles.
2. Prep the ingredients while the noodles are cooking. Julienne the shiso leaves for garnish. Slice the garlic cloves and cut off the root end of the shimeji. Remove the pits from the umeboshi and mince the flesh into small pieces.
3. Slice the chicken tenders into bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper, then coat with all-purpose flour.
4. Cook the sauce. In a hot pan, cook the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Then, add the mushrooms and cook until coated with oil. Add the umeboshi, soy sauce, and half of the reserved pasta cooking water.
5. Add the drained spaghetti to the pan once the chicken is coated with the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta well with the sauce. Add more pasta water and soy sauce, if you need more sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with shiso leaves and shredded nori seaweed.

The leftovers store well, too. You can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.

I hope you give this a try! You’ll love how simple ingredients play well in this quick recipe. It will make a delicious addition to your dinner recipes rotation.

Wafu Pasta Dishes You’ll Enjoy

• Japanese Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus
• Shiso Garlic Pasta
• Classic Mentaiko Pasta
• Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage
• Mushroom Tuna Pasta

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