I wanted a light lunch today, and have been meaning to give this recipe a try. It's a simple Japanese twist on pasta. Here's the original recipe from 'The Japanese Kitchen.'
Serves 4
7 oz (1 3/4 - 2 cups) dried penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and gently squashed
1 large ripe beef tomato, blanched, skinned, and chopped
4 oz eda-mame, cooked and shelled
Salt and pepper
"Cook the penne in a large saucepan of boiling water. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a skillet over a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the garlic clove and let it infuse slowly. Remove it when it turns golden yellow and discard.
Add the chopped tomato and shelled eda-mame and quickly saute for 2 minutes. Add a ladleful of cooking water from the pasta pan and let the sauce reduce slightly. Drain the penne and tip into the pan. Stir well, adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve immediately"
I followed the above recipe loosely, leaving the quantities to my liking. I didn't remove the (minced) garlic, nor did I blanch/ skin the tomatoes.
I added a further Japanese twist by replacing penne pasta with udon noodles.
It was fast, easy, and delicious. Definitely a keeper.