Editor's note: This recipe is excerpted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking , by Harumi Kurihara. To read more about Harumi, click here.

　　Mentaiko Spaghettini

　　This is one of the most popular types of pasta in Japan and is a great example of how a foreign ingredient has been adapted to Japanese taste. I think you will find it quite an eye opener.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings

　　6 oz. uncooked spaghettini

　　3 oz. mentaiko (see Ingredients Note)

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　nori seaweed to taste

　　shiso leaves or fresh basil and mint leaves to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon kombu cha powder

　　soy sauce to season

　　chopped green onion or chives to garnish

　　

Step 1

1. Boil the spaghettini in a pan of salted water until al dente.

　　

Step 2

2. Soften the butter and beat until creamy. Remove the thin membrane form the mentaiko and mix the roe with the butter.

　　

Step 3

3. Finely shred the dried seaweed (nori) and the shisho leaves.

　　

Step 4

4. When the spaghettini is cooked, drain well. Immediately mix with the mentaiko and the better and season with kombu cha powder and soy sauce.

　　

Step 5

5. Put onto a serving plate, sprinkle the dried seaweed and shisho leaves on top and garnish with green onions or chives.

　　Ingredients Note:

　　Mentaiko is quite difficult to substitute. Its unique taste comes from the salting process and chili. Kombu cha powder may also be hard to substitute, but you can make something similar with a little strong fish stock.

　　Harumi's Japanese Cooking